Category Archives: Relevant Publications

Sensitive detection of low-abundance biomolecules is central for diagnostic applications. Semiconductor nanowires can be designed to enhance the fluorescence signal from surface-bound molecules, prospectively improving the limit of optical detection. However, to achieve the desired control of physical dimensions and material properties, one currently uses relatively expensive substrates and slow epitaxy techniques.

Fluorescence-based detection assays play an essential role in the life sciences and medicine. To offer better detection sensitivity and lower limits of detection (LOD), there is a growing need for novel platforms with improved readout capacity. In this context, substrates containing semiconductor nanowires may offer significant advantages, due to their proven light-emission enhancing, waveguiding properties […]

Determining the surface concentration and diffusivity of cell-membrane-bound molecules is central to the understanding of numerous important biochemical processes taking place at cell membranes. Here we use the high aspect ratio and lightguiding properties of semiconductor nanowires (NWs) to detect the presence of single freely diffusing proteins bound to a lipid bilayer covering the NW […]

Semiconductor nanowires can act as nanoscaled optical fibers, enabling them to guide and concentrate light emitted by surface-bound fluorophores, potentially enhancing the sensitivity of optical biosensing. While parameters such as the nanowire geometry and the fluorophore wavelength can be expected to strongly influence this lightguiding effect, no detailed description of their effect on in-coupling of […]

Development of fluorescence enhancement (FE) platforms based on ZnO nanorods (NRs) has sparked considerable interest, thanks to their well-demonstrated potential in chemical and biological detection. Among the multiple factors determining the FE performance, high-order waveguide modes are specifi- cally promising in boosting the sensitivity and realizing selective detection. Baosheng Du, Chengchun Tang, Dan Zhao, Hong […]

Low-dimensional semiconductor materials structures, where nanowires are needle-like one-dimensional examples, have developed into one of the most intensely studied fields of science and technology. We review the way in which several innovative synthesis methods constitute the basis for the realization of highly controlled nanowires, and we combine this perspective with one of how the different […]

Semiconductor nanowires are key building blocks for the next generation of light-emitting diodes, solar cells and batteries. To fabricate functional nanowire-based devices on an industrial scale requires an efficient methodology that enables the mass production of nanowires with perfect crystallinity, reproducible and controlled dimensions and material composition, and low cost. So far there have been no […]