Award Abstract #0646966
SGER: Growing a Metallic Nanowire up to a Live Cell

NSF Org:	PHY Division of Physics
Initial Amendment Date:	September 1, 2006
Latest Amendment Date:	September 25, 2007
Award Number:	0646966
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Krastan B. Blagoev PHY Division of Physics MPS Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences
Start Date:	October 1, 2006
Expires:	March 31, 2008 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$59995
Investigator(s):	Bret Flanders bflande@ksu.edu (Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	Oklahoma State University 101 WHITEHURST HALL STILLWATER, OK 74078 405/744-9995
NSF Program(s):	PHYSICS OF LIVING SYSTEMS, SCI & TECH CTRS (INTEG PTRS)
Field Application(s):	0000099 Other Applications NEC
Program Reference Code(s):	OTHR, 9237, 9183, 9150, 7246, 7237, 1767, 0000
Program Element Code(s):	7246, 1297

ABSTRACT

Directed electrochemical nanowire growth is a new technique that provides a way to grow crystalline, metallic nanowires from macroscopic electrodes to targeted sites in the interelectrode region. By growing multiple wires up to a set of targeted sites on single live cells, this technique could potentially be used to deliver complex electrical stimuli to the cells. However, realizing this application requires the following: it must be possible to induce this wire-growth process in a good cell culturing medium, and it is essential that this growth-process does not compromise the viability of the cell. The objective of this project is to develop methodology for growing a metallic nanowire up to a biological cell without loss of cell viability. This objective will be accomplished via the following specific tasks: (1) Design a medium that both supports the growth of gold wires and contains the full complement of solutes present in cell culture tested-media; and (2) Refine this customized medium to enable gold wire growth up to a live cell. To accomplish these tasks, this team will employ the following methods: directed electrochemical nanowire growth; culturing of arterial smooth muscle cells; epi-fluorescence, bright-field, and transmission electron microscopies; biochemical viability assays; and cleanroom lithography.

The Flanders Group regularly works to enhance the education of high school students who attend the Oklahoma School for Science and Mathematics in Oklahoma City. Graduate students in the Flanders Group perform a series of lab demonstrations, such as the directed assembly of micron-sized wires. These demonstrations underscore the notion that physics is an experimental science that relies on observations.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Ozturk B; Flanders BN; Grischkowsky DR; Mishima TD.  "Single-step growth and low resistance interconnecting of gold nanowires,"  Nanotechnology,  v.18,  2007,  p. 175707.

Ozturk B; Talukdar I; Flanders BN.  "Directed growth of diameter-tunable nanowires,"  Nanotechnology,  v.18,  2007,  p. 365302.


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