Protocols - SOPs
Nanopore Cleaning Protocol (after glue) (as of 7/18/16):
*Note: all steps should be done wearing gloves. The test tubes should always be placed in a small clean glass beaker.
1. Used nanopore should be placed in a clean unused test tube, about half way down. Make sure to dry thoroughly by using an air gun or vacuum before placing in the test tube.
*Note: Steps 2-10 should be done in the organic hood
2. Fill test tube with enough acetone for the chip to be fully submerged. If the nanopore has become stuck to the sides, tap the test tube gently or prod the chip with a small glass pipette until it becomes submerged.
3. Allow the nanopore to sit in the acetone for 1 hour to ensure best glue removal results.
4. Remove acetone using a pipette and dispose in waste beaker. Using Dynasolve bottle pipette, submerge the nanopore in Dynasolve. Some acetone may be left in the bottom of the test tube prior to addition of Dynasolve.
5. Let nanopore sit in Dynasolve for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pipette Dynasolve up and down in order to disturb the solution, and then allow the nanopore to sit in Dynasolve for another 15 minutes.
6. Pipette out Dynasolve and deposit in waste beaker.
7. Submerge nanopore in acetone and then remove using a clean glass pipette. Deposit acetone into waste beaker.
8. Repeat step 7 until acetone in test tube is clear, and then leave the nanopore submerged in acetone for 15 minutes.
9. Remove acetone and deposit into waste beaker.
10. Submerge the nanopore in ddH2O for at least 10 minutes, or as long as desired.
11. Before using the nanopore, remove from ddH2O, dry, and place into a new test tube.
12. Bring nanopores to the piranha fume hood, it is recommended to use a new set of gloves before working with the piranha solution in the acid/base hood. Place the test tubes on the hot plate in a beaker, but do not turn it on.
*Note: Piranha solution is extremely dangerous, proceed with caution. It is recommended to wear safety goggles and plastic apron.
13. Fill each test tube first with one part hydrogen peroxide, then two parts sulfuric acid using a glass pipette and rubber bulb. In order to completely fill the test tube, normally this means using one full glass pipette for each part. Make sure to change your pipette before switching from hydrogen peroxide to sulfuric acid. Also, place a small beaker full of Millipore water on the same hotplate for future rinsing steps.
14. The piranha solution may now be boiling, with the nanopore on the bottom of the tube. Turn the hotplate to 240 �C for ~7 minutes, then turn it off but keep everything on the hotplate for at least five more minutes to allow the piranha solution to cool. For pores that are believed to be dirtier and more stable use 280�C for 25 minutes. Note: these temperatures are plate temperatures, not solution temperatures.
15. Remove test tubes from the hotplate, and place them on another Pyrex dish. Using a clean pipette remove the piranha solution from the test tubes, leaving just enough liquid inside so that the nanopore remains completely submerged. Make sure to dispose piranha solution into the designated waste containers located in the Pyrex dish.
16. Using warm water from the beaker on the hotplate, fill test tubes with a glass pipette. Move the test tubes over to the sink and rinse the bottom of the beaker with water to remove any piranha residue. Mix the solutions carefully with a pipette and remove the water-piranha solution while still keeping the chips submerged. Using a squeeze bottle of DI water, refill the test tubes.
17. While holding the test tubes in one gloved hand, thoroughly rinse out any piranha that�s in the beaker and rinse the bottom half of the test tubes by dunking them in the beaker full of clean water a few times.
18. Mix the solution carefully with a pipette and remove the solution while still keeping the chips submerged. Fill the tubes once more with water and you are done cleaning!