Langmuir, Vol.28, No.2, 1391-1398, 2012
Protein Recognition by a Self-Assembled Deep Cavitand Monolayer on a Gold Substrate
This paper details the first use of a self-folding deep cavitand on a gold surface. A sulfide-footed deep, self-folding cavitand has been synthesized, and its attachment to a cleaned gold surface studied by electrochemical and SPR methods. Complete monolayer formation is possible if the cavitand folding is templated by noncovalent binding of choline or by addition of space-filling thiols to cover any gaps in the cavitand adsorption layer. The cavitand is capable of binding trimethylammonium-tagged guests from an aqueous medium and can be deposited in 2 x 2 microarrays on the surface for characterization by SPR imaging techniques. When biotin-labeled guests are used, the cavitand:guest construct can recognize and immobilize solution, acting as an effective supramolecular biosensor for monitoring protein recognition.