Hybrid Nanostructured Materials for Bioengineering Applications

Abstract

Nanomaterial research is developed from material science to broad nanotechnology, which leverages advances in material metrology and synthesis in support of microfabrication research. Particularly, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) process their own unique optical, electronic and mechanical properties, allowing for a large variety of applications, such as sensors, solar cells, displays, batteries and supercapacitors. This dissertation focuses on hybridized structures and bioengineering applications of nanomaterials. We start introducing the advanced synthesis approaches of two hybrids, CNT/graphene and CNT/MoS2, followed by the Raman, electronical and optoelectronic characterizations. Finally, under scanning photocurrent microscopy, we integrate graphene probes with the glia-neuron co-culture microfluidic platforms to investigate the synaptic activity. Our achievement of developing innovative hybrids and applying nanomaterials into bioengineering fields will provide new ways for future electronic, optoelectronic and biosensing applications.