David Bishop

Wide-and Zero-bandgap Two-dimensional Devices for Liquid Sensing Applications

Project Description

 Two-dimensional materials are atomically thin and readily couple to liquids at a phase interface resulting in perturbation of electrical transport. For example, characterization of charge carrier transport in monolayer graphene as a function of solutal variables is critical for developing sensors capable of characterizing biological fluids. For example, ionized components in an aqueous system can alter the ionic strength and acidity and have strong implications regarding structure-function relationships of biomolecules like proteins and nucleic acids, influencing the efficacy of graphene-based devices for biological assays. Monolayer graphene, a semimetal, can form heterostructures via van der Waals intermolecular forces with other two-dimensional materials like hexagonal boron nitride, a wide-bandgap semiconductor. 

Recently, both monolayer graphene and hexagonal boron nitride have reached wafer-scale commercialization, affording an opportunity to increase throughput for characterization of two-dimensional heterostructures for biosensing applications. Contemporary diagnostics rely on expensive, time-consuming, optically-limited mechanisms that obstructs complete access to biomolecular profiles. Two-dimensional heterostructures may unlock the information needed to profile physiology and disease beyond current state-of-the-art technology.