Semiconducting Silicon Nanowires for Biomedical Applications

Biomedical applications have benefited greatly from the increasing interest and research into semiconducting silicon nanowires. Semiconducting Silicon Nanowires for Biomedical Applications reviews the fabrication, properties, and applications of this emerging material. The book begins by reviewing the basics, as well as the growth, characterization, biocompatibility, and surface modification, of semiconducting silicon nanowires. It goes on to focus on silicon nanowires for tissue engineering and delivery applications, including cellular binding and internalization, orthopedic tissue scaffolds, mediated differentiation of stem cells, and silicon nanoneedles for drug delivery. Finally, it highlights the use of silicon nanowires for detection and sensing. These chapters explore the fabrication and use of semiconducting silicon nanowire arrays for high-throughput screening in the biosciences, neural cell pinning on surfaces, and probe-free platforms for biosensing. Semiconducting Silicon Nanowires for Biomedical Applications is a comprehensive resource for biomaterials scientists who are focused on biosensors, drug delivery, and tissue engineering, and researchers and developers in industry and academia who are concerned with nanoscale biomaterials, in particular electronically-responsive biomaterials.

Jeffrey Coffer is Professor of Inorganic and Materials Chemistry at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth. His research interests are in the preparation and properties of semiconductor nanocrystals and nanowires, luminescent silicon-based materials, rare-earth-doped semiconductor nanostructures, and nanophase biomaterials.

Contributor contact details Woodhead Publishing Series in Biomaterials Foreword Part I: Introduction to silicon nanowires for biomedical applications 1. Overview of semiconducting silicon nanowires for biomedical applications Abstract: 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Origins of silicon nanowires 1.3 The structure of this book 1.4 Conclusion 1.5 References 2. Growth and characterization of semiconducting silicon nanowires for biomedical applications Abstract: 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Synthesis methods for silicon nanowires (SiNWs) 2.3 Characterization methods 2.4 Synthesis of semiconductor SiNWs by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method 2.5 Conclusion 2.6 Future trends 2.7 Sources of further information and advice 2.8 References 3. Surface modification of semiconducting silicon nanowires for biosensing applications Abstract: 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Methods for fabricating silicon nanowires (SiNWs) 3.3 Chemical activation/passivation of SiNWs 3.4 Modification of native oxide layer 3.5 Modification of hydrogen-terminated silicon nanowires (H-SiNW) 3.6 Site-specific immobilization strategy of biomolecules on SiNWs 3.7 Control of non-specific interactions 3.8 Conclusion References 4. Biocompatibility of semiconducting silicon nanowires Abstract: 4.1 Introduction 4.2 In vitro biocompatibility of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) 4.3 In vivo biocompatibility of SiNWs 4.4 Methodology issues 4.5 Future trends 4.6 Conclusion 4.7 References Part II: Silicon nanowires for tissue engineering and delivery applications 5. Functional semiconducting silicon nanowires for cellular binding and internalization Abstract: 5.1 Motivation: developing a nano-bio model system for rational design in nanomedicine 5.2 Methods: non-linear optical characterization and surface functionalization of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) 5.3 Applications: in vivo imaging and in vitro cellular interaction of functional SiNWs 5.4 Conclusions and future trends 5.5 References 6. Functional semiconducting silicon nanowires and their composites as orthopedic tissue scaffolds Abstract: 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Nanowire surface etching processes to induce biomineralization 6.3 Nanowire surface functionalization strategies to induce biomineralization 6.4 Construction of silicon nanowire (SiNW)-polymer scaffolds: mimicking trabecular bone 6.5 The role of SiNW orientation in cellular attachment, proliferation and differentiation in the nanocomposite 6.6 Conclusions and future trends 6.7 Acknowledgement 6.8 References 7. Mediated differentiation of stem cells by engineered semiconducting silicon nanowires Abstract: 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Methods for fabricating silicon nanowires (SiNWs) 7.3 Regulated differentiation for human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) 7.4 SiNWs fabricated by the electroless metal deposition (EMD) method and their controllable spring constants 7.5 Mediated differentiation of stem cells by engineered SiNWs 7.6 Conclusion 7.7 Future trends 7.8 Acknowledgements 7.9 References 8. Silicon nanoneedles for drug delivery Abstract: 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Strategies for nanoneedle fabrication 8.3 Drug loading of nanoneedles and release patterns 8.4 Drug delivery using nanoneedles 8.5 Toxicity of nanoneedles 8.6 Overview of nanoneedle applications 8.7 Conclusion 8.8 References Part III: Silicon nanowires for detection and sensing 9. Semiconducting silicon nanowire array fabrication for high throughput screening in the biosciences Abstract: 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Fabrication of silicon nanowire (SiNW) field effect transistor (FET) arrays for high throughput screening (HTS) in the biosciences 9.3 Surface modification of SiNW FETs for HTS in the biosciences 9.4 Integration of SiNW FETs with microfluidic devices for HTS in real-time measurements 9.5 Examples/applications of SiNW FETs 9.6 Conclusion 9.7 Future trends 9.8 References 10. Neural cell pinning on surfaces by semiconducting silicon nanowire arrays Abstract: 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Toward control of neuronal topography and axo-dendritic polarity 10.3 Neuron networks on top of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) 10.4 Future trends 10.5 Conclusion 10.6 References 10.7 Appendix: experimental section 11. Semiconducting silicon nanowires and nanowire composites for biosensing and therapy Abstract: 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Fabrication of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) and two-dimensional SiNW architectures 11.3 SiNWs for biosensing applications 11.4 Fabrication of SiNW-polymer composite systems 11.5 Biomedical applications of SiNW-polymer composites 11.6 Conclusions and future trends 11.7 References 12. Probe-free semiconducting silicon nanowire platforms for biosensing Abstract: 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Silicon nanowire (SiNW) biosensors 12.3 Probe layers 12.4 Integrated sample delivery 12.5 Electrical biasing and signal measurement 12.6 Examples/applications of SiNW biosensor platforms 12.7 Conclusions 12.8 Future trends 12.9 References Index