Advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology critically depend on the development of nanostructures whose properties are controlled during synthesis. We focus on this critical concept using semiconductor nanowires, which provide the capability through design and rational synthesis to realize unprecedented structural and functional complexity in building blocks as a platform material. First, a brief review of the synthesis of complex modulated nanowires in which rational design and synthesis can be used to precisely control composition, structure, and, most recently, structural topology is discussed. Second, the unique functional characteristics emerging from our exquisite control of nanowire materials are illustrated using several selected examples from nanoelectronics and nano-enabled energy. Finally, the remarkable power of nanowire building blocks is further highlighted through their capability to create unprecedented, active electronic interfaces with biological systems. Recent work pushing the limits of both multiplexed extracellular recording at the single-cell level and the first examples of intracellular recording is described, as well as the prospects for truly blurring the distinction between nonliving nanoelectronic and living biological systems.

中文翻译：

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半导体纳米线：纳米科学和纳米技术的平台。

纳米科学和纳米技术的进步在很大程度上取决于纳米结构的发展，其性质在合成过程中受到控制。我们使用半导体纳米线专注于这一关键概念，它通过设计和合理合成提供能力，以在作为平台材料的构建块中实现前所未有的结构和功能复杂性。首先，简要回顾了复杂调制纳米线的合成，其中讨论了合理的设计和合成可用于精确控制成分、结构，以及最近的结构拓扑。其次，使用来自纳米电子和纳米能源的几个选定示例说明了我们对纳米线材料的精细控制所产生的独特功能特性。最后，纳米线构建模块的非凡力量通过它们与生物系统创建前所未有的主动电子接口的能力得到进一步突出。描述了最近在单细胞水平上推动多路复用细胞外记录和细胞内记录的第一个例子的极限的工作，以及真正模糊无生命的纳米电子系统和有生命的生物系统之间区别的前景。