IUVSTA 15th International Vacuum Congress (IVC-15), AVS 48th International Symposium (AVS-48), 11th International Conference on Solid Surfaces (ICSS-11)
    Biomaterials Wednesday Sessions
       Session BI+NS-WeA

Paper BI+NS-WeA8
Fabrication of High Aspect Ratio Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofiber-based Electrochemical Probes for the Probing of Intact Whole Cells

Wednesday, October 31, 2001, 4:20 pm, Room 103

Session: Nanobiology
Presenter: T. McKnight, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Authors: T. McKnight, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
M.A. Guillorn, Oak Ridge National Laboratory & University of Tennessee
A.V. Melechko, University of Tennessee
D.W. Austin, University of Tennessee
V.I. Merkulov, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
M. Doktycz, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
D.H. Lowndes, Oak Ridge National Laboratory & University of Tennessee
M.L. Simpson, Oak Ridge National Laboratory & University of Tennessee
Correspondent: Click to Email
Molecular biology and genomics are providing great insight into gene sequence, regulation and function. At the same time, imaging technology is elucidating cellular structure. Unfortunately, we have limited ability to monitor processes within and around living cells in real time and with high spatial resolution. This limitation is largely technological - our current research instruments are simply not on the same size scale as the functional components of cells. Here we present the fabrication and operation of high aspect ratio vertically aligned carbon nanofiber (VACNF)-based electrochemical probes for the probing of intact whole cells. Electron beam lithography was used to define the catalytic growth sites of the VACNFs. Following catalyst deposition, VACNF were grown using a novel plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. Photolithography was performed to realize interconnect structures. These probes were passivated with a thin layer of SiO2, which was then removed from the tips of the VACNF, rendering them electrochemically active. We have demonstrated their functionality by selectively electrodepositing Au clusters onto the tips of the probes. We believe that these probes are ideally suited for characterizing intracellular phenomena in real time with an unprecedented degree of spatial resolution.