Graphene-edge tweezers pick up biomolecules with speed

The atomically sharp edges of graphene can act as surprisingly efficient electronic tweezers to trap molecules and nanoparticles. This is the new finding from researchers in the US and the UK who say that the mechanism of action of the devices will allow them to precisely position molecules along the edges of a graphene sample and then probe these molecules using other sensors or even graphene itself. The tweezers, which work thanks to dielectrophoresis, operate at voltages as low as 0.45 V and can pick up objects like nanodiamonds, nanobeads and DNA from solution within seconds. The devices might be used to make handheld disease diagnostic systems and to study the biophysics of single molecules……

http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/70660