Bacteria capture, concentration and detection by alternating current dielectrophoresis and self-assembly of dispersed single-wall carbon nanotubes.

The high polarizability and dielectrophoretic mobility of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) are utilized to capture and detect low numbers of bacteria and submicron particles in milliliter-sized samples. Concentrated SWNT solutions are mixed with the sample and a high-frequency (>100 kHz) alternating current (AC) field is applied by a microelectrode array to enhance bulk absorption of the particles (bacteria and nanoparticle substitutes) by the SWNTs via dipole-dipole interaction. The same AC field then drives the SWNT-bacteria aggregates to the microelectrode array by positive-AC dielectrophoresis (DEP), with enhanced and reversed bacteria DEP mobility due to the attached SWNTs. Since the field frequency exceeds the inverse RC time of the electrode double layer, the AC field penetrates deeply into the bulk and across the electrode gap. Consequently, the SWNTs and absorbed bacteria assemble rapidly (<5 min) into conducting linear aggregates between the electrodes. Measured AC impedance spectra by the same trapping electrodes and fields show a detection threshold of 10(4) bacteria/mL with this pathogen trapping and concentration technique.