Abstract
The integration of 2D material coatings on microcantilevers marks a transformative advancement in nanomechanical sensing. As essential components of nanomechanical sensors, microcantilevers detect minute forces, such as molecular interactions, through frequency shift measurements, enabling ultra-sensitive detection with atomic-scale mass resolution. This work emphasizes the novelty of employing 2D-material coatings on microcantilevers, presenting an integrated approach that combines theoretical modeling, simulation, and experimentation. By utilizing 2D-material-coated microcantilevers, this study demonstrates the precise measurement of mass, Young's modulus and thickness of 2D material layers. The enhanced performance of these coated resonators is showcased in applications such as bacterial and uric acid mass sensing at varying concentrations, achieving superior frequency detection, responsivity, and accuracy. This research not only advances nanoscale sensor design but also underscores the potential of 2D-material coatings in revolutionizing nanoelectromechanical sensors for materials characterization and mass spectrometry, paving the way for next-generation sensing technologies.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 27200-27215 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Nanoscale |
| Volume | 17 |
| Early online date | 2 Oct 2025 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published online - 2 Oct 2025 |
Bibliographical note
This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2025.Data Access Statement
The data supporting the findings of this study are available in the main manuscript and its supplementary information (SI). If additional data are required, we are happy to provide them as SI. Supplementary information: theoretical models, simulation results, and experimental data. Additional data, including raw frequency shift measurements, Young's modulus estimations, and mass sensing results for bacterial and uric acid concentrations, have also been included. See DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nr03147h.Funding
This work was supported by the Department for the Economy (DfE), Northern Ireland, through US–Ireland R&D partnership grant no. USI 186, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grants EP/N00762X/1, EP/V040030/1, and EP/Y003551/1. The authors would like to thank Dr He Wang for the XPS measurement and Dr Shuncai Wang for the TEM measurement.