Smart Electro-responsive Interfaces for Controlled Biomolecule Adsorption

Electro-responsive interfaces alter their properties in response to an electric potential trigger. Hence, such 'smart' interfaces offer exciting possibilities for applications in, for instance, microfluidics, separation systems, biosensors and -analytics.

For instance, the potential induced switching of the germanium interface termination, triggers the desolvation of the interface. This switching is employed as a hydrophobic/hydrophilic switchable ‘smart’ interface to trigger reversible adsorption as well as reversible reorientation of biomacromolecules. Adsorption or reorientation of the biomolecules can be controlled and is observed in-situ by ATR-IR spectroscopy. Such switchable interfaces may find applications as highly functional biosensors.