Interfacing nanomaterials for bioelectronic applications

Abstract: The integration of nanomaterials between biological and electronic world has revolutionized the way of understanding how to generate functional bioelectronic device and open a new horizon for the future of bioelectronics. The use of nanomaterials as a versatile interface in the area of bioelectronics offers many practical solutions and recently outshines as an alternative method to overcome technical challenges to control and regulate the mean of communication between biological and electronics systems. Therefore, the interfacing nanomaterials yields broad platform of functional units for the integration as bioelectronic interfaces and starts to have a great importance to many fields within the life science.In parallel with the advancements for the successful combination of biological and electronic worlds using nanotechnology in a conventional way, a new branch of switchable bioelectronics based on signal-responsive materials and related interfaces have been emerged. The switchable bioelectronics consists of functional interfaces equipped with molecular cue that able to mimic and adapt their natural environment and change physical and chemical properties on demand. These switchable interfaces are essential to develop a range of technologies to understand function and properties of biological systems such as bio-catalysis, control of ion transfer and molecular recognition used in bioelectronics systems.This thesis focuses on both the integration of functional nanomaterials to improve electrical interfacing between biological system and electronics and also the generation of a dynamic interface having ability to respond real-life physical and chemical changes. The developing of such a dynamic interface allows one to understand how do living system probe and respond their changing environment and also help control and modulate bio-molecular interactions in a confined space using external physical and chemical stimuli. First, the integration of various nanomaterials is described to understand the effect of different surface modifications and morphologies using different materials on the basis of enzyme-based electrochemical sensing of biological analytes. Then, various switchable interfaces including temperature, light and pH, consist of graphene-enzyme and responsive polymer, are developed to control and regulate enzymebased biomolecular reactions. Finally, physically controlled programmable bio-interface which is described by “AND” and “OR” Boolean logic operations using two different stimuli on one electrode, is introduced. Together, the findings presented in this thesis lay the groundwork for the establishment switchable and programmable bioelectronics. The both approaches are promising candidates to provide key building blocks for future practical systems, as well as model systems for fundamental research.