Experimental study of protein translocation through MoS2 nanopores

Abstract

This experimental work studies the translocation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) proteins through MoS2 nanopores. A simple method of device fabrication is developed based on dry-transfer of exfoliated MoS2 membranes and subsequent TEM drilling, yielding MoS2 nanopores of a few monolayers thick and diameters as small as ∼11 nm. The current-voltage relation and low-frequency current noise of the devices are characterized. Typical BSA translocation signals that possibly correspond to various orientations are observed in the MoS2 devices, exhibiting enhanced amplitude and similar characteristics when compared to those from a silicon nitride (SiNx) control. Furthermore, the statistical data of the signal amplitude and dwell time at various biases are analyzed. These results show opportunities of single-molecular protein analysis using MoS2 nanopores.