Microscopic Transport Analysis of Single Molecule Detection in MoS$_2$ Nanopore Membranes

TL;DR

This paper presents a detailed microscopic analysis of the resistive effects in MoS2 nanopores for single biomolecule detection, combining experimental data with theoretical modeling to understand the influence of various parameters on electrical sensitivity.

Contribution

It introduces a combined experimental-theoretical approach to analyze resistive effects in MoS2 nanopores, highlighting the role of electrolyte, pore size, and doping in detection sensitivity.

Findings

Electrolyte concentration and pore size significantly affect detection sensitivity.

Doping polarity influences the electrical response of the nanopore.

Model calculations align well with experimental observations.

Abstract

A microscopic physical analysis of the various resistive effects involved in the electronic detection of single biomolecules in a nanopore of a MoS2 nanoribbon is presented. The analysis relies on a combined experimental-theoretical approach, where the variations of the transverse electronic current along the two-dimensional (2D) membrane due to the translocation of DNA and proteins molecules through the pore are compared with model calculations based on molecular dynamics (MD) and Boltzmann transport formalism for evaluating the membrane conductance. Our analysis that points to a self-consistent interaction among ions, charge carriers around the pore rim and biomolecules, emphasizes the effects of the electrolyte concentration, pore size, nanoribbon geometry, but also the doping polarity of the nanoribbon on the electrical sensitivity of the nanopore in detecting biomolecules, which agrees well with the experimental data.