Molecular-level functionalization of electrode surfaces

Abstract

An ultra-thin film of functional molecule(s) can be deposited on an electrode, which then serves as a device to amperometrically monitor compounds of biological interest. The methods of surface functionalization, mostly on tin oxide (SnO₂) electrodes, include: chemical modification (covalent bond formation between the surface OH group with a functional group of a molecule); the Langmuir-Blodgett technique, where the NH₂ group of a long-chain alkylamine is bound to an enzyme via a small dialdehyde molecule as spacer; and electropolymerization of pyrrole in an electrolyte containing a single enzyme or a sequentially operating bienzyme system. The results of such investigations by the author’s group are presented.