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What's unique is the new film's structure: clusters of rod-like columns only 10
nanometers (about 50 atoms) across, standing on end. The porous surface made up
of all those column-ends, Fonash says, "acts like an English muffin, with lots of
nooks and crannies" small enough to catch single molecules. By adjusting growing
conditions, these nanopores can be tailored to grab some molecules and not others.
Such selectivity could be used to ferret out blood proteins indicating early-stage
cancer, heart disease, and other conditions.
—David Pacchioli
Stephen J. Fonash, Ph.D., is Kunkle chair professor of engineering sciences,
College of Engineering, 189 Materials research Institute; 814-865-4931;
sfonash@psu.edu
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tephen J. Fonash, Kunkle chair professor of engineering sciences, has discovered a
silicon thin film that may one day help doctors screen for diseases.
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