Applied Physics Letters · 2006 · 73 citations · 10 references
EngineeringBioengineeringBiophysicsBiosensorsElectrochemistryNanotechnologyElectrochemical DetectionElectrochemical SensorsInorganic NanoparticlesMetal Oxide NanomaterialsNanomaterial-based BiosensorsNanosensorsElectrochemical NanosensorsElectrochemical Ph SensingNanorodsPh SensingPh SensorsPh-sensitive ProbesZinc Oxide NanostructuresZinc Oxides
p H determination is a prerequisite for many biochemical and biological processes. The authors have used two methods, namely, the electrochemical potential method and the site binding method to study the sensitivity of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods for the use as intracellular pH sensing device. The dimensions of these nanorods were varied with radii between 50–300nm and lengths between 2 and 10μm. The ZnO nanorods showed a high sensitivity ≈59mV per decade at room temperature for a pH range (1–14), assuming that the solution is water. This is expected due to the polar and nonpolar surfaces of the ZnO nanorods.
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