Supramolecular immobilization of bio-entities for bioelectrochemical applications

Abstract

One constant challenge in biotechnological applications such as biosensors or biofuel cells is the immobilization of the bio-entity on respective surfaces. Beside widely used covalent binding, entrapment in polymers, or cross linking, protein or DNA grafting via supramolecular host–guest systems or metal–organic coordination, called affinity interactions, became a powerful alternative. One clear advantage of this principle is the facilitated formation of the biocomposite since the biological unit can be immobilized via self-assembly just by incubation of a surface, modified with a corresponding counterpart, in the biomolecule, bearing the other counterpart, containing the solution. The most important affinity systems to immobilize bioreceptor units onto transducer surfaces are summarized. Original examples of this immobilization strategy are not only used for biosensing applications but also for other biotechnological fields like biofuel cells.