Nanopore sensors: from hybrid to abiotic systems

The use of nanopores of well controlled geometry for sensing molecules in solution is reviewed. Focus is concentrated especially on synthetic track-etch pores in polymer foils and on biological nanopores, i.e. ion channels. After a brief section about multipore sensors, specific attention is provided to works relative to a single nanopore sensor. The different strategies to combine the robustness of supports with the high selectivity of the biological channels are reviewed. The scope ranges from keeping the membrane natural environment of biological channels in supported and suspended bilayer membranes, to considering completely abiotic designed nanopores created through synthetic materials. The α-hemolysine channel and the mechanosensitive channel of large conductance with their modifications are especially considered in the first strategy, the conical functionalized nanopores created in polymer foils in the second one. The different attempts of reading macromolecules are also discussed. A third hybrid strategy, which was not extensively explored, consists in the inclusion of a biological structure into a well-designed nanopore through the support, as recently with gramicidin.