Spatial conformation measurement of gold nanorods translocated through a solid-state nanopore

The solid-state nanopore has been developed as a powerful biosensor to detect individual molecules and nanoparticles. The operational principle of the technique was to determine the volume, concentration, and zeta potential of the particles from the electrical signals as nanoparticles passing through the pore. Here, gold nanorod samples were used to measure the dynamic translocation process though a nano channel. Gold nanorods have a high throughput in silicon nitride nanopore sensing because of their positive charge characteristics. Meanwhile, a set of varied shapes of nanorods was modeled in nanopore transport. Rod-like nanoparticles were found to adjust partial conformation to enter and pass the pore, and it was found that the dynamic process of nanorod translocation is the result of a combination of electrophoresis and electroosmotic action between nanopores and nanoparticles. These results improve our understanding of the dynamics of rod-shaped biopolymers and viruses translocating through biomembranes. They provide a new way of depicting biomolecule transport in the life system.