The modification of electronic devices with organic and bioorganic molecules is a crucial issue in the fields of bioelectronics and biosensing. For instance, an effective surface modification can promote cell adhesion or enable the controlled grafting of functional biomolecules such as proteins or DNA, often used in biosensors. In order to introduce different functional groups and tailor the surface properties of carbon-based materials such as diamond and graphene, there is a great interest in broadening the range of linker molecules which can be tethered to these materials.

In our group, we study the functionalization of diamond, and more recently graphene, using chemical and photochemical procedures, which enable the grafting of monolayers of organic molecules as well as the direct growth of porous polymer layers of controlled thickness. Furthermore, we investigate the adsorption of proteins on functionalized carbon surfaces.   

The efficiency of the grafting is then investigated using several techniques, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), fluorescence microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), standard electrochemical techniques, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS).

People on the project

Roberta Caterino, Andreas Reitinger, Moritz Hauf, Franz Fuchs

Selected publications

Cooperations

P. Bergonzo, CEA LIST Saclay, France

K. Haenen, University of Hasselt, Belgium

O. Williams, Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Festkörperphysik IAF Freiburg, Germany

R. Jordan, Professur Makromolekulare Chemie, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany

Funding

EC FP7 Marie Curie Actions Network for Initial Training MATCON
International Graduate School of Science and Engineering IGSEE
Nanosystems Initiative Munich NIM