Sensors and Actuators B 157 (2011) 17

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Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/snb

Review

A review on technological aspects inuencing commercialization of carbon nanotube sensors

D.W.H. Fam a , Al. Palaniappan a,b, , A.I.Y. Tok a , B. Liedberg a,b , S.M. Moochhala a,b,c,
a

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore Centre for Biomimetic Sensor Science, 50 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637553, Singapore c DSO National Laboratories, 27 Medical Drive, Singapore 117510, Singapore
b

a r t i c l e

i n f o

a b s t r a c t
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are one of the advanced functional materials of today and has been researched extensively since its discovery. Although much is still not known about the physical and chemical properties of CNTs, it has already found potential applications in many industries, from defense to electronics and even in environmental remediation. CNTs possess many desirable mechanical and chemical properties, which supercedes many of the advanced materials of today. It was also found that CNTs have excellent electronic properties like unprecedented mobilities of up to 100,000 cm2 /V s, which can potentially result in a quantum leap in the electronics industry. Over the recent years, CNT and their derivatives (decorated/functionalized) were also intensively studied, especially in the eld of bio and chemical sensing owing to the size similarity of nanotubes with the analytes such as biospecies that enable strong interactions between them. However, despite intensive research, commercialization of these potential applications still remains elusive mainly due to the lack of control in synthesis of specic chirality, diameter and length of CNTs, which inuences the device performance. This short review focuses on addressing recent advances in CNT research especially on aspects such as controlled synthesis, decoration/functionalization for specic recognition, sensor device fabrication and commercialization strategies. 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Article history: Received 3 December 2010 Received in revised form 10 February 2011 Accepted 20 March 2011 Available online 13 April 2011 Keywords: Carbon nanotubes Commercialization of carbon nanotube Gas sensors Biosensors

Contents 1. 2. 3. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advancements in current sensor research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Developments in CNT sensor research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2. Morphology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3. Controlled synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.4. Fabrication of sensor devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.5. Commercialization efforts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Biographies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 7

4.

1. Introduction Sensors and sensor arrays for the detection of chemical and biological substances have attracted much attention in recent years.

Corresponding authors at: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore. E-mail addresses: alps@ntu.edu.sg (Al. Palaniappan), mshabbir@dso.org.sg (S.M. Moochhala). 0925-4005/$ see front matter 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.snb.2011.03.040

The ultimate goal is to fabricate sensors that can determine the presence of a wide range of substances at relevant concentration levels with sufcient selectivity and sensitivity. Such research would ultimately produce technology that could be applicable in many segments including food processing, environmental remediation, agriculture, medical diagnostics and defense. The main requirements besides selectivity and sensitivity are fast response, low fabrication costs, robustness and portability. Hence intensive research activities around the world are focused on developing new sensing materials and technologies [1].

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Table 1 Various platforms for detection of chemical and biomolecules. Transducer platforms LOD Specicity Portability Commercialization efforts

PSA Bulk acoustic wave Surface acoustic wave Mass spectrometry Opto-chemical CNT-based electronic devices ng/ml [17] fg/ml [22] N.A. sub ng/ml [31] pg/ml [37]

DNA fM [18] nM [23] N.A. <1nM [32] pM [38]

NOx ppb [19] ppb [24] ppb [28] ppb [33] ppb [39]

CO N.A. ppm [25] N.A. ppb [34] ppb [40]

DMMP ppb [20] Sub ppm [26] ppb [29] ppt [35] ppm [41] Receptor dependant Receptor dependant Highly specic Receptor dependant Receptor dependant Yes Yes Limited DAQ Dependant Yes Successful [21] On going [27] Successful [30] Successful [36] Successful [42]

ng, nanogram (109 g); pg, picogram (1012 g); fg, femtogram (1015 g); nM, nanomolar (109 M); pM, picomolar (1012 M); fM, femtomolar (1015 M); ppm, parts per million; ppb, parts per billion; ppt, parts per trillion.

Apart from the transducer platform, much emphasis of current sensor research is also focused on functional materials for sensor applications. Nanomaterials are chosen over their bulk counterparts due to their high surface area to volume ratio and their unique properties associated with their nano-scaled dimensions. Nanomaterials include nanoparticles without any denite shape, nanospheres, nanowires and nanotubes, amongst others. One of the most prominent works precipitating the study of nanomaterials for sensor applications would be by Labeau et al. [2]. In this initial work, a simple resistive sensor based on tin oxide (SnO2 ) nanoparticles, 1420 nm, was investigated for ethanol and carbon monoxide detection. Since then, a wide variety of nanomaterials have been studied for their sensing behavior [316]. Of all the nanomaterials reported, carbon-based nanomaterials like fullerenes, graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) show a huge potential in bringing sensor technology to the next level. Of these carbonaceous materials, CNT stand out as the most promising material for deployment in electronic sensing platforms due to its superior chemical and electronic properties. Furthermore, CNT possess a great potential for being employed both as a part of the transducer element as well as a functional receptor element in an electronic device. Despite the potential associated with CNT-based sensors, the efforts devoted to commercialization are still being limited by the challenges involved in CNT synthesis and device fabrication. Over the years, several attempts have been made to address these issues, for example, controlled synthesis of CNT. Although the scientic breakthroughs are numerous in this area, much of the CNT sensor research still remains at a proof-of-concept and/or prototype stage. This short review will address some of the current trends, challenges and limitations associated with the CNT sensor development. 2. Advancements in current sensor research Bio and chemical sensor research has taken a variety of directions in recent years. New frontiers targeting the development of highly specic receptor molecules and novel transducer platforms have been established for a wide variety of plausible applications. However, only a few of them appear to be viable for integration into a functional device and subsequent commercialization. The transducer platforms include various forms of spectroscopy, opto-chemical, bulk acoustic wave devices (BAWs), surface acoustic wave devices (SAWs) and the electronic devices. Although there is a huge potential in harnessing sensors out of these platforms, there are still major considerations surrounding these devices that need to be carefully addressed before commercialization. Recently, some major advances have been made in commercializing these novel transducers by integrating them with suitable data acquisition units (DAQ). However, device consistency and robustness are still major issues when deploying them in demanding environments. Hence, it is essential to develop sensor platforms that are not only sensitive but also robust to enable eld deployment.

This latter requirement also puts certain constraints on the development of highly stable recognition molecules for sensing in areas lacking advanced test infrastructure, e.g., for on-site detection of infectious diseases. Table 1 summarizes the widely used platforms for detection of chemical and biomolecules, the limit of detection (LOD) and their characteristic features. Of the transducing platforms described above, electronic devices have gained popularity as many investigators have demonstrated the potential for them to be used effectively as highly sensitive and versatile sensors. The electronic transducing platform is much preferred as it gives qualitative readouts and is able to perform direct quantitative measurements instead of needing complicated external signal processing units to process the signal. This is possible as the sensing material can be directly incorporated into the electronic circuit hence reducing the interference from external signal processing units. Sensors based on electronic transducers have taken centre-stage, because of their low production costs and excellent sensitivity. In terms of deployment, these sensors are preferred for their portability and robustness in demanding environments as illustrated in a recent study, which shows that the bulk of consumers (70.2%) of chemical sensors look for portability [43]. In particular, CNT-based electronic sensors have seen an upward trend in research over recent years. As observed from Fig. 1 [source: patent search engine, http://www.freepatentsonline.com/], the number of US patents referencing CNT escalated over the years due to their recently discovered physical and chemical properties, illustrating their potential for sensing applications. It could be observed from patents led over the recent years on CNT array sensors [44] that CNT platform has the potential to be commercialized in the near future as challenges in device fabrication and understanding of the functioning mechanisms are being overcome. This is further evidenced by a recent report on commercializing CNT based sensors introduced by Nanomix Inc., emphasizing on fabrication approaches for obtaining uniform devices for detection of biomolecules and toxic substances resulting from industrial emissions. 3. Developments in CNT sensor research 3.1. Introduction CNT have attracted much attention in a wide range of scientic research elds [45]. Their unique properties make CNT the most promising nanomaterials for the building blocks of future quantum electronic devices. Since the discovery by Iijima in 1991 [46], the development of CNT-based sensors has engaged researchers all over the world. The application of CNTs in the next generation of sensors has the potential of revolutionalizing the sensor industry due to their inherent properties such as its extremely small size, high strength, high electrical and thermal conductivity, and high specic surface area. CNTs are hexagonal networks of carbon atoms forming nanotubes approximately 1 nm in diameter and 1100 m

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Fig. 1. Trend of patents led over the last decade [27].

in length. They can essentially be thought of as a layer of graphite rolled up into a cylinder [47] and depending on the arrangement, they could either be single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) or multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). SWCNT comprises one single layer which is favorable for the effective functionalization leading to high specicity to analytes while MWCNTs have many layers (approximately 50) [47]. Ever since the discovery of CNTs, key milestones for sensor development have been reached. CNTs have a huge potential as sensors due to its high surface area to volume ratio that allows for high sensitivity, high thermal stability that makes it viable to be deployed in most environments and yet they can be modied easily to imbue selectivity. There are many different types of CNT-based electronic sensors including ionization sensors, capacitors, resistors and transistors. In a review by Gruner, CNT based platforms were cited as biocompatible sensors because of the similarity in size with analytes such as cells, proteins and even DNA [48]. Furthermore, the electrostatic and electron transfer phenomena occurring on the transducer surface as a consequence of the chemical adsorption or the biological recognition processes induces shifts in the sensor response that is readily detectable by the electronic device. Thus, there is a huge potential in monitoring these processes using CNT based electronic transducers. 3.2. Morphology

ent morphologies for different applications. In another work by the Rogers group, crossbar devices, random network devices and high-density aligned nanotube devices were fabricated by combining CVD growth on ST cut quartz with a two-step transfer process using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamping. This gave a relatively good control over the CNT network morphology and opened an avenue for controlling CNT device characteristics. Although these methodologies proved useful in controlling the morphologies of CNTs, there are still concerns regarding the extent of surface area enlargement and morphological control, which are critical factors determining the performance of the devices. This led to a focus of research on single-CNT devices, as it would eliminate the inter-tube resistance associated with random network devices. One of the signicant contributions to the development of single-CNT devices was based on dielectrophoresis (DEP) to fabricate large-scaled (several millions per square meter), devices with electrodes bridged by a single nanotube [52]. Although the control over the CNT morphology has increased, there are unfortunately substantial differences in performance between the batches; hence it is still a challenge to produce sensors with reproducible device characteristics. Therefore, there is a need to improve the synthesis protocol to accurately control the characteristics of each individual nanotube including its contact resistances with the electrode materials. 3.3. Controlled synthesis

There are two different methods, to date, capable of fabricating these CNT devices; the rst being the dispersion of CNT on pre-patterned substrates and the second methodology is to synthesize CNT directly on the substrates. The latter is considered to be the most promising route in terms of output and reproducibility. Efforts have been taken in controlling the growth morphology to improve the device performance. The initial growth of CNTs using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was uncontrolled and resulted in a random bush-like network [49]. However, in recent years it has become apparent that the device performance could be signicantly improved by controlling the morphology of CNT. Rogers et al. demonstrated this by adopting a large-scale synthesis methodology to generate aligned nanotube architecture [50] on a ST (stable temperature) cut quartz wafer via CVD using patterned iron catalyst and methane as the feedstock for growth. The synthesis of aligned tubes improved the device performance in terms of a reduced device resistance and improved signal to noise ratio, which ultimately lead to an increased sensitivity [51]. This formed the impetus for the synthesis and fabrication of devices with differ-

There are generally three techniques used for producing CNTs, namely, carbon arc-discharge technique [53,54], laser-ablation technique [55] and growth by either (CVD) [56,57] or other methods [58]. Iijima was the rst to observe ne threads (MWCNT) in an electron microscope image of a sample prepared by arc-discharge technique [46]. The arc-discharge technique was initially used for the production of fullerenes and is a relatively simple method for producing CNTs. This method involves passing a direct current between two carbon rods, which are biased to create an arc discharge at high temperature. This high temperature arc discharge would then melt and vaporize one of the carbon rods and the vapor would be collected as thread-like deposits on the other rod. The threads were very thin and long tubes of pure carbon. However, there is a lack of control in this method of synthesis as it produces soot and other forms of carbon apart from CNTs and therefore, chemical renement is necessary to obtain the pure CNTs. In 1996, bundles of aligned SWCNTs were produced by the laser ablation technique [55]. This method of producing CNTs uses a pre-heated

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(1200 C) horizontal tube under a controlled pressure using a ow of inert gas with a target inside. This target consists of a composite, which is a mixture of graphite and metal catalysts such as Co or Ni. A laser is then introduced onto the target and this causes vaporization to occur. The plume from the vaporization is then collected at the cooler downstream end of the horizontal tube that is outside the heating zone forming the CNTs. However, this method of synthesis also produces soot and other carbon compounds apart from CNTs. Following this, Jose-Yacaman et al., producing MWCNTs by catalytically growing them using CVD [56]. MWCNTs were rst discovered in the buildup on the cathode of the carbon arc that was used in a He environment to produce fullerenes such as C60 . The outer diameter of MWCNTs varies between 2 and 20 nm typically and the inner diameter is about 13 nm. The interlayer distance is similar to the one layer of graphite (0.30.4 nm). SWCNT, however, have a smaller inner diameter of about 1.21.4 nm [54,58,59]. Studies have shown that the chirality of the carbon nanotube plays an important role in determining the electronic structure of the nanotubes [60,61]. Although not much is known quantitatively about the effects of the chirality, diameter and length of the nanotubes on the gas sensing properties of the CNTs, these physical properties will affect the electronic properties of the CNTs, for instance, modulation of the workfunction thus changing its capability for sensing. The chirality of the nanotube is the direction of roll of the sheet of graphene to form a helical nanotube with the helix direction being dened by the Hamada vectors (n,m). Calculations also have been done to show that the chiral armchair (n,n) tubes display a metallic behavior whereas all (n,m) tubes, with nm an integral multiple of 3 could be a small-gap semiconductor or semimetallic tube [61]. The tubes which do not fall within these categories should be semiconducting with a band gap roughly proportional to the reciprocal of the tube radius [62]. This was found to be qualitatively true for tubes with a large diameter where the sp interaction is negligible [63,64]. Therefore, to obtain CNTs with reproducible electronic properties, the synthesis and sorting steps of CNTs must be controlled. For example, considerable efforts have been devoted to sort the chirality and nanotube diameter in an effort to control its electronic properties and several methodologies have been proposed including dielectrophoresis [65] or using DNA [66]. However, one of the most poignant strategies involved structure-discriminating surfactants for the separation of nanotubes (in powdered form) by their diameters, band gaps and electronic types (semiconducting or metallic) [67]. This methodology for production of pure (semiconducting or metallic) solutions introduced by NanoIntegris Inc. constitutes a tool for the up-scale production of nanotubes. However, complete renement in separation of the different chiralities has yet to be achieved in this process [67]. Furthermore, as these nanotubes are wrapped with surfactants their sensing capabilities might be impeded. Accordingly, there is still a need to develop CVD based growth protocols in order to obtain the CNT layers of consistent thickness, required length, diameter and chirality for consistent device fabrication. 3.4. Fabrication of sensor devices CNT sensor device fabrication essentially integrates the CNT morphology obtained via the chirality, diameter and length separation using controlled synthesis techniques with a supporting substrate and electrode interconnections in a transistor (Fig. 2) or resistor conguration. The ability to sense lies in the nature of the interaction between the sensitive material and the analyte; whether the analyte molecules bind specically to the sensitive material and hence change its intrinsic properties, electronic or mechanical. Due to the difculty in optimization of such a device, commercialization is still

Fig. 2. Schematic of CNT transistor device.

elusive. However, one notable contribution to commercialization could be found in the works of Gruner and Star et al. [38,42,48,68]. In their works they have successfully commercialized sensors to detect troponin, nitric oxide (NO) and various industrial gases. This was accomplished using assays of CNT transistors arranged in an array format. These CNT transistors are based on random network architectures that display relatively large tube-to-tube variations. However, in a network conguration, the difference is averaged and the device performance is dened by the mean properties of the CNT architecture. This would mean that the only difference between devices would be due to the density variations of the nanotubes. Despite the apparent ease in fabrication there has not been a signicant increase in number of sensors produced for different analytes. This might be due to the difculty in achieving nanotubes that are uniformly functionalized and decorated with recognition molecules. In the recent years, sensors research has become more materials oriented and the emphasis has been on advanced functional nanomaterials that serve as specic sensing layers. These novel materials include organic and polymer complexes [16,6984] and different oxides of Sn, Zn and Ba [8592], amongst others. A recent work by our group demonstrates an electronic sensor based on Ag nanoparticles of mono-distributed size (4 nm) which are uniformly decorated onto SWCNT for the purpose of selective and real-time detection of hydrogen sulde in gaseous form (H2 S) [93]. To date, much work has been done to improve the selectivity of CNT sensors and it could be observed that customizable CNT based sensors decorated with suitable selective receptors may become accessible on the market in the near future. 3.5. Commercialization efforts Although the achievements in CNT based chemical, toxic and biosensors are remarkable, substantial research efforts are still needed to make commercialization possible. Over the recent years, much of the emphasis is being laid on controlling homogeneity of nanotube devices and monitoring their interaction with analytes. Though seemingly straight forward, the underlying sensing mechanism of nanotube-based sensors is multifaceted and continues to be actively researched and debated. Interaction between various analytes and the CNT network may also be complicated for generalization. Moreover, during real time sensing, various molecules other than the analyte of interest may also be physically adsorbed on to the CNTs thereby introducing non-specic binding (NSB). There have been some attempts to minimize NSB via substrate passivation using blocking agents that does not interfere with the molecular recognition event nor contribute to a sensor response. Studies have also reported on the use of lipid bilayers and liposomes that functions as a bio-interface to achieve reliable sensing of transmembrane and signaling phenomena [94]. These are particularly attractive systems to work with as they suppress NSB.

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One of the major challenges limiting commercialization is the device reproducibility, which is largely controlled by the nanotube synthesis capabilities. Recently, some promising results on controlled synthesis of nanotubes in terms of morphology and diameter have been reported. Progress in generating high density of perfectly aligned CNT would facilitate reproducible fabrication of high performance devices with ballistic conduction as the main transport mechanism. However, chirality of the nanotube, especially for the as-synthesized nanotube, is difcult to control and would inuence the device characteristics. Several strategies such as surface functionalization to sort tubes of different chiralities (therefore sorting them by their electronic properties), electrical burn-off to reduce the metallicity of the CNT network, etc., have been reported to increase homogeneity. One of the main thrusts of CNT research is to achieve a consistent chirality and diameter. The most promising method explored to differentiate CNTs would be the employment of selective chemistry which would involve the use of functionalization and or surfactants which interacts with the surface of the CNT with specic chiralities and thereby sorting them [67]. However, the overall cost of synthesis of pure CNTs increase with the complexity of separation techniques adopted. Currently, 1 mg of >99% pure semiconducting SWCNTs would cost approximately 800 USD [95]. Although small amounts of pure CNTs are needed for the fabrication of devices, a substantial cost will also be incurred in the integration of the as-bought pure CNTs with the fabricated electronic devices. Due to the improvement in technology over the last decade, there is a huge potential for cost reduction in the device fabrication process. Over the recent years, several signal readout systems has been developed using data acquisition cards and these systems have also been extended for wireless applications using wireless local area network/blue tooth technology [9698]. Reliable sensor response has also been achieved via fabricating CNT sensor array for discrimination of analytes using techniques such as principal component analysis [99,100]. Furthermore, there are several reports on successful integration of CNT with CMOS circuitry indicating their potential for fabricating commercial devices [101103]. Therefore, research on efcient CNT synthesis techniques would be of utmost importance for fabrication and introduction of new cost-effective devices to the market. One of the challenges to be overcome before the large-scale development of CNTs as new advanced functional materials in the industry would be the investigation of the toxicity of CNTs. This challenge is amplied further as these materials are not only new, but also small; materials tend to exhibit unusual properties in the nanometer range due to quantum effects, making the study of their toxicity more difcult. There are mixed reviews on the toxicological effects of CNTs. In a pilot study, it was reported that CNTs show asbestos like pathogenicity on its interaction with the lungs in forming granulomas on the mesothelium cells of the lungs when introduced into the abdominal cavity of mice within a week. The toxicity of CNTs (thinner than 3 m and longer than 20 m [104]) is due to their long ber-like shape that resembles asbestos and is dependent on the length of the CNTs [105,106]. Nonetheless, there are other reports that differ from these ndings stating that CNTs cause minimal toxicological harm to the human body. It has been reported that the interaction of SWCNTs with various human cells including the lung cells show no loss of viability of the cells [107]. These reports have also challenged previous reports on the detrimental effects of CNTs on human cells [108110]. Therefore substantial and concrete evidence on the toxicity of CNTs on human cells is required for development of CNT based biological sensors, especially those that show potential of in vivo employment. With the intent of commercialization, some recent advances on CNT sensors research is on fabrication of disposable devices using substrates such as PET, PDMS, etc., on which the CNTs are deposited through solution processing. Devices made of a single isolated tube

have also shown to be promising candidates for commercialization. 4. Summary This review summarizes recent advancements in carbon nanotube research. Numerous reports on evaluation of toxicity of CNT and its biocompatibility are indicative of the potential of CNT for commercial device fabrication. Recent years have witnessed a growing number of CNT related patents emphasizing commercialization possibilities. A large number of research groups are actively pursuing CNT related research to study their interaction capabilities with potential analytes. The relatively less expensive CNT related devices and fabrication processes also have attracted interest from other eld of science and technology. In summary, there is a huge potential for CNT in the eld of bio and chemical sensors. Numerous reports on remarkable sensing properties of nanotubes would envisage feasible commercialization strategies. Although ultra-sensitive detection methodologies and detection capabilities at fM concentration levels have been reported, substantial research efforts are still needed to eliminate high matrix interference from real samples and NSB phenomena. These research issues, including ways to control morphology and device homogeneity are crucial technical aspects that must be addressed before implementing nanotube-based devices in commercial products. References
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Biographies
D.W.H. Fam has received his B. Eng. (Hons) from Nanyang Technological University in 2006 and is currently pursuing a PhD in the said college. His research interests include functionalization and nanoparticle decoration of carbon nanotubes for purpose of eld effect transistors and gas sensing devices. Al. Palaniappan received his PhD from National University of Singapore in 2006 and is currently a research fellow at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His research interests include carbon nanotube and frequency domain based gas/bio sensors, portable gas/bio sensors, thin lm deposition and characterization and use of data acquisition software for acquiring/analyzing data from gas/bio sensors. A.I.Y. Tok is an associate professor and Head of Division (Materials Technology) in the School of Materials Science & Engineering at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He runs the nanoparticle and nanostructured materials research group. He obtained his PhD from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore in 2000 and his B. Eng. (Hons) from the Queensland University of Technology, Australia in 1995. Prior to joining NTU, he worked in ST Aerospace Engineering Pte. Ltd. as an aircraft structures engineer. Bo Liedberg is full professor of Sensor Science and Molecular Physics (2000), at the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linkping University, Sweden. Liedberg is also the head of the scientic branch applied physics which encompasses seven research divisions at the Department. His basic research is primarily devoted to soft materials science including surface chemistry, self-assembly, supramolecular chemistry and biomimetics. Liedberg is heading a research group of about 25 PhD students, post docs and staff. He is also interested in the development of new tools for applications in biology and medicine (e.g., in biosensing and molecular recognition). This includes exploitation of novel transduction principles for biochemical/biological sensing and biomedical diagnostics. He is the author and co-author of about 195 original scientic articles, book chapters and reviews. He has also served as guest editor and co-editor for several sensor and surface science oriented journals. Today he is a visiting scientist and the director of The Centre for Biomimetic Sensor Science, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Shabbir Moochhala graduated with a BSc (with honours) in pharmacology from the University of Aberdeen, UK and obtained his PhD in pharmacology at the Dalhouse University, Canada. Between 1987 and 1992 he was a teaching fellow in the Department of pharmacology, National University of Singapore. From 1992 to 1996 he was research scientist in the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore, and his work included undertaking and overseeing research projects, teaching and conducting consultancy services. He is currently the program director of combat care and performance program at DSO national labs, Singapore. He has a wide range of research interests, notably in applied physiology and pharmacology. His ongoing research work areas include exercise physiology, sleep/wakefulness and management, thermal physiology, traumatology and wound healing. In addition, Dr. Moochhala is involved in reviewing papers for various international and local journals, as well as grant proposals for the National Medical Research council.