The electrical properties of gold nanowires and their applications in chemical sensing

In this study, we explore the morphology dependent electrical behavior of gold nanowires and exploit these phenomena to develop robust, highly responsive gold nanowire sensors capable of detecting low concentrations of elemental and ionic mercury. The sensor design is straightforward; it consists of a single gold nanowire isolated between electrical contact pads. Accordingly, it is highly manufacturable, low power, and suitable for integration into sensor arrays. The nanosensor is based on electrical resistivity changes that arise upon adsorption of mercury onto gold surfaces. We demonstrate the advantages of the nanoscale design for this application and substantiate its use for other chemical detection applications. Though the gold-mercury system is reported here, the effects observed are universal and can be utilized in other metal-analyte combinations as well.