摘要
Rapid and accurate detection of ultralow-concentration nanoparticles is crucial forapplications ranging from medical diagnosis to water quality monitoring, yet remainschallenging for current laser-based and light-scattering methods.While nanoparticletranslocation-based nanopore sensing offers single-particle resolution, conventionalsingle-nanopore resistive pulse sensing approaches suffer from low capture frequency,transient signals, and clogging issues, limiting their effectiveness at extremelylow concentrations. Here, we present a novel nanopore array blockage-based sensingstrategy for the rapid detection and quantification of ultralow-concentrationnanoparticles. Using hydraulic force, nanoparticles are driven through an array ofsubnanoparticle-sized pores, and optical microscopy monitors blockage progression toobtain quantitative concentration data. Our results demonstrate a linear correlationbetween the initial blockage rate and nanoparticle concentration, enabling the detectionof fluorescent nanoparticles down to 0.5 aM (300 particles/mL) within 5 min-athree-order-of-magnitude improvement in sensitivity over previous nanopore-basedmethods. Additionally, our approach can leverage fluorescent nanoparticles as probesto detect unlabeled nanoparticles and contaminants at similarly low concentrations.This strategy provides a robust, efficient, and rapid platform for ultrasensitive nanoparticledetection, with promising applications in biomedical research, environmentalmonitoring, and industrial quality control.
基金
USDA-NIFA,Grant/Award Number:2024-67014-42672
BU MSE Special User-Charge Grant。
