Resistive
pulse sensing using ion channel proteins (biological
nanopores) has been evolving as a single-molecule approach to detect
small biomolecules owing to atomically precise pore size reproducibility,
high signal-to-noise ratio, and molecular selectivity. The incorporation
of biological nanopores in sensing platforms requires a stable lipid
membrane that can be formed by a variety of methods such as the painting
method and droplet-based techniques. However, these methods are limited
by the fragility of the unsupported bilayer or the need for specific
microdevices. Electrode-supported bilayers, in which a metal electrode
is used as a support structure, have been recently developed using
a fine gold nanoneedle. We previously described the utility of the
gold nanoneedle-supported ion channel probe to detect small molecules
with high spatial resolution; however, it exhibited a channel current
decay over time, which affected the binding frequency of the target
molecule to the protein pore as well. Here, we introduce a silver
nanoneedle probe to support the lipid bilayer formation and ion channel
measurements. The silver nanoneedle mitigates the current decay observed
on gold electrodes and produces stable DC channel currents. Our findings
propose the formation of a AgCl layer creating a nonpolarizable electrode.
The new nanoneedle is successfully applied for single-molecule detection
of sulfonated β-cyclodextrin (S7βCD) using
αHL as a test bed protein. We believe that this new silver nanoneedle
platform has great potential given the relative ease of lipid bilayer
formation and stable open channel currents.