A zero-depth nanopore capillary for the analysis of translocating biomolecules

TL;DR

This paper introduces a zero-depth nanopore capillary created by crossing metallic nanorods, enabling high-fidelity, low-noise biomolecule analysis with ultrafast translocation speeds, surpassing traditional nanopores in 2D materials.

Contribution

It presents a novel zero-depth nanocapillary architecture formed by crossing nanorods, offering scalable, robust, and ultra-thin nanopores for single-molecule detection.

Findings

Orders of magnitude reduced biomolecule translocation speed

Lowered electronic and ionic noise compared to 2D nanopores

Scalable platform for high-fidelity single-molecule detection

Abstract

High-fidelity analysis of translocating biomolecules through nanopores demands shortening the nanocapillary length to a minimal value. Existing nanopores and capillaries, however, inherit a finite length from the parent membranes. Here, we form nanocapillaries of zero depth by dissolving two superimposed and crossing metallic nanorods, thereby opening two overlapping nanofluidic channels molded in a polymeric resin. In an electrolyte, the interface shared by the crossing fluidic channels is mathematically of zero thickness and defines the narrowest constriction in the stream of ions through the nanopore device. This novel architecture provides the possibility to design nanopore fluidic channels, particularly with a robust 3D architecture maintaining the ultimate zero thickness geometry independently of the thickness of the fluidic channels. With orders of magnitude reduced biomolecule translocation speed, and lowered electronic and ionic noise compared to nanopores in 2D materials, our findings establish interfacial nanopores as a scalable platform for realizing nanofluidic systems, capable of single-molecule detection.