Smart Homopolymer Modification to Single Glass Conical Nanopore Channels: Dual-Stimuli-Actuated Highly Efficient Ion Gating

For the first time, the integration of a smart homopolymer poly[2(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA), which undergoes both pH- and temperature-induced conformational transitions, is demonstrated in a single glass conical nanopore channel, to achieve a smart nanodevice that can be reversibly switched between the high conducting on state and low conducting off state with high gating efficiency due to the conformational changes of the homopolymer brush effected by varying the pH and temperature of the surrounding media.