Modulating Nanoparticle Translocation by Surface Chemistry of Gold Nanopores

A simple and effective method for modulating nanoparticles (NPs) translocation through nanopore by tuning the surface change of chemically modified gold coated nanopore was developed. The gold-coated pore is simply prepared from a nanopipette and the partially insulated gold coating can be utilized to effectively concentrate NPs near the nanopore entrance. The surface modification of gold near the orifice effectively modulates the NP translocation behavior, mainly through electrostatic force and chemical interactions. This system can be extended to the detection of biological entities, such as virus and exosomes which have similar size of NPs.