Novel Gold Nanostructures and Methods of Use

Abstract

The invention is drawn to novel nanostructures comprising hollow nanospheres and nanotubes for use as chemical sensors, conduits for fluids, and electronic conductors. The nanostructures can be used in microfluidic devices, for transporting fluids between devices and structures in analytical devices, for conducting electrical currents between devices and structure in analytical devices, and for conducting electrical currents between biological molecules and electronic devices, such as bio-microchips.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method, comprising the step of:
 using a chemical sensor for measuring at least one cellular process with a detecting molecule bound to a surface of a synthetic nanotube to determine a cellular process measurement, wherein the chemical sensor comprises the synthetic nanotube, the synthetic nanotube comprising a substantially homogenous polycrystalline uniform symmetrical metal nanostructure, the synthetic nanotube being substantially hollow and having dimensions of between about 20 nm and 100 nm in diameter and at least between about 0.1 μm and 4 μm in length, the synthetic nanotube further comprising the surface and the detecting molecule, and wherein the detecting molecule is bound to the surface.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the step of using the chemical sensor further comprises the steps of
 (i) providing the chemical sensor;   (ii) providing a plurality of cells;   (iii) incubating the chemical sensor with the plurality of cells for a predetermined period to bind the detecting molecule to the plurality of cells;   (iv) measuring the extent of binding between the detecting molecule and the plurality of cells thereby measuring the cellular process.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the chemical sensor comprises at least two detecting molecules bound to the surface of the synthetic nanotube and the step using the chemical sensor further comprises a step of using the chemical sensor for measuring at least two cellular processes. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the cellular process is selected from the group consisting of intracellular lipid metabolism, the cell cycle, actin skeleton regulation, cell proliferation, and cellular motility. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , where the plurality of cells comprises human tissue, the human tissue selected from the group consisting of tumor tissue, blood fluids, lymph fluids, hemolymph fluids, pulmonary surfactant fluids, peritoneal fluids, gastric fluids, xylem fluids, and phloem fluids. 
     
     
         36 . A method, comprising the step of:
 producing a chemically stable and electrically conducting nanotube, further comprising the steps of
 (i) combining an aqueous solution of Co 2+  salt with an aqueous solution of citrate salt thereby forming a first mixture; 
 (ii) degassing the first mixture; 
 (iii) purging at least once with nitrogen gas; 
 (iv) adding an aqueous solution of NaBH 4  thereby reducing the Co 2+  to Co 0 , and thereby forming a second mixture comprising Co 0  particles, the step of adding being in the presence of an induced magnetic field and wherein the presence of the induced magnetic field aligns the Co 0  particles; 
 (v) agitating the second mixture until hydrogen evolution is substantially complete; 
 (vi) adding the second mixture comprising aligned Co 0  particles to an aqueous solution of Au 3+  salt; 
 (vii) allowing the Au 3+  to be reduced to crystalline Au 0  and the Co 0  oxidized to Co 2+ , and wherein the crystalline Au 0  is deposited adjacent to the aligned Co 0  thereby creating a nanotube comprising crystalline Au 0 ; 
 (viii) Chemically controlling a length, a diameter, and a wall thickness of the nanotube adjusting an initial concentration of each of the Co 2+  salt, of the citrate salt, and of the Au 3+  salt; and 
 (ix) Magnetically controlling a position and a structural alignment of the nanotube by adjusting a magnetic field;
 thereby producing a chemically stable and electrically conducting nanotube. 
 
   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the step magnetically controlling further comprises the step of
 magnetically controlling the position and structural alignment of the nanotube by adjusting a field strength of the magnetic field and/or adjusting a relative position of the magnetic field.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the initial concentration of Co 2+  salt is less than 0.4 M. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the initial concentration of Co 2+  salt is 0.4 M. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the initial concentration of Co 2+  salt is greater than 0.4 M. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the initial concentration of citrate salt is less than 0.1 M. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the initial concentration of citrate salt is 0.1 M. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the initial concentration of citrate salt is greater than 0.1 M. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the initial concentration of Au 3+  salt is less than 0.1 M. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the initial concentration of Au 3+  salt is 0.1 M. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the initial concentration of Au 3+  salt is greater than 0.1 M. 
     
     
         47 . An apparatus comprising the nanotube produced using the method of  claim 36 . 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 47 , further comprising
 a miniature electronic circuit adapted to interact with the nanotube.   
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , wherein the miniature electronic circuit is selected from the group consisting of a memory and an electrical circuit. 
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 48 , further comprising the miniature electronic circuit used with at least one biological medium, wherein the biological medium is selected from the group consisting of proteins, cell surface receptor proteins, and antibodies, photosensitive compounds, chlorophyll, xanthocyanins, compounds having oxidoreductase activity, cytochromes, haemoglobin, myoglobin, and fluorescent compounds. 
     
     
         51 . A method comprising the step of imaging at least one molecule (molecular imaging) by use if a chemical sensor responding to a sample binding a detecting molecule bound to a surface of a synthetic nanotube contained in the chemical sensor. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the step of molecular imaging comprises the steps of
 (i) providing a chemical sensor, the chemical sensor comprising a synthetic nanotube, the synthetic nanotube comprising a substantially homogenous polycrystalline uniform symmetrical metal nanostructure, the synthetic nanotube being substantially hollow and having dimensions of between about 20 nm and 100 nm in diameter and at least between about 0.1 μm and 4 μm in length, the synthetic nanotube further comprising a surface and at least one detecting molecule, and wherein the detecting molecule is bound to the surface;   (ii) providing a sample;   (iii) mixing the chemical sensor with the sample, whereby the detecting molecule of the chemical sensor binds to the sample;   (iv) measuring the SERS activity of the chemical sensor;   (v) analyzing the SERS activity, the method resulting in molecular imaging.   
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the sample is selected from the group consisting of a biomedical sample, an electronic device, and an industrial chemical. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the biomedical sample is selected from the group consisting of tumor tissue, blood fluids, lymph fluids, hemolymph fluids, pulmonary surfactant fluids, peritoneal fluids, gastric fluids, xylem fluids, and phloem fluids. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the electronic device includes at least one member of the group consisting of a memory, a memory chip, a microchip, and a chip. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the industrial chemical includes at least one member of the group consisting of a quantum dot (QD) and a semiconductor quantum dot (SQD).