A Transparent Nanowire-Based Cell Impalement Device Suitable for Detailed Cell-Nanowire Interaction Studies

A method to fabricate inexpensive and transparent nanowire impalement devices is invented based on CuO nanowire arrays grown by thermal oxidation. By employing a novel process the nanowires are transferred to a transparent, cell‐compatible epoxy membrane. Cargo delivery and detailed cell‐nanowire in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Germany), 2013-01, Vol.9 (2), p.263-272
Main Authors: Mumm, Florian, Beckwith, Kai M., Bonde, Sara, Martinez, Karen L., Sikorski, Pawel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arrays
bionanotechnology
cell membrane interactions
COMPOSITES
Confocal
COPPER OXIDE
copper oxide nanowires
Devices
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
impalefection
MEMBRANES
MICROSTRUCTURES
MICROWIRE
Nanocomposites
Nanomaterials
Nanotechnology
Nanowires
Scanning electron microscopy
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Summary:A method to fabricate inexpensive and transparent nanowire impalement devices is invented based on CuO nanowire arrays grown by thermal oxidation. By employing a novel process the nanowires are transferred to a transparent, cell‐compatible epoxy membrane. Cargo delivery and detailed cell‐nanowire interaction studies are performed, revealing that the cell plasma membrane tightly wraps the nanowires, while cell membrane penetration is not observed. The presented device offers an efficient investigation platform for further optimization, leading towards a simple and versatile impalement delivery system. The detailed interface and cargo delivery to HeLa and HEK293 cells cultured on a nanowire‐based device is explored using a combination of confocal fluorescence and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. A novel nanowire transfer process of CuO nanowires allows the fabrication of a transparent, biocompatible device, and tight interactions between the nanowires and cellular membranes are observed.
ISSN:1613-6810
1613-6829
DOI:10.1002/smll.201201314