Rapid Detection of PFAS in Water Using Field-Effect Transistor Sensors Based on 2D Nanomaterials

The National Academy of Engineering identified “providing access to clean water” as one of the top ten grand challenges for engineering in the 21st century. A central requirement for safe drinking water is the availability of low-cost and real-time water quality monitoring. Current detection methods for critical analytes in water such as PFAS are often too expensive or unsuitable for in-situ and real-time detection. This talk will unveil a powerful approach to real-time water sensors through molecular engineering of 2D nanomaterials in a field-effect transistor platform. The working principle of the sensor is that the conductivity of 2D nanomaterial channel changes upon binding of chemical or biological species to molecular probes anchored on the nanomaterial surface. As such, the presence and the concentration of analytes (e.g., PFAS, heavy metals, bacteria, and nutrients) can be determined by measuring the sensor resistance change. The patented technology allows for real-time detection of deadly contaminants with high sensitivity and selectivity in field settings for one-time testing or in-line continuous flow testing. The talk will focus on the molecular engineering aspects of the sensor device (e.g., engineering the nanomaterial channel and molecular probes) through both theoretical and experimental approaches.