摘要

Recent years have seen a surge of interest in nanopores because such structures show a strong potential for characterizing macromolecules, e.g., DNA. Here, the authors theoretically investigate the translocation of a spherical nanoparticle through a conical nanocapillary, by numerically solving the coupled system of electrokinetic continuum equations. Based on their findings, the authors formulate simple guidelines for obtaining the maximum current signal during the translocation event, which should be transferable to other nanopore geometries. In addition, the dependence of the signal strength on particle properties, such as surface charge and size, is evaluated. Finally, the authors identify conditions under which the translocation is prevented by the formation of a strong electroosmotic barrier and show that the particle may even become trapped at the pore orifice, without imposing an external hydrostatic pressure difference.

  • 出版日期2017-1