silicon and catechol

Conjugation of mussel-inspired catechol groups to various polymer backbones results in materials suitable as silicon anode binders. The unique wetness-resistant adhesion provided by the catechol groups allows the silicon nanoparticle electrodes to maintain their structure throughout the repeated volume expansion and shrinkage during lithiation cycling, thus facilitating substantially improved specific capacities and cycle lives of lithium-ion batteries.

Topics: Animals; Bivalvia; Catechols; Electric Power Supplies; Electrodes; Ions; Lithium; Nanoparticles; Polymers; Silicon

A new pyrophosphate (PPi) chelator was designed for surface-sensitive electrical detection of biomolecular reactions. This article describes the synthesis of the PPi-selective receptor, its surface immobilization and application to label-free electrical detection on a silicon-based field-effect transistor (FET) sensor.

Topics: Catechols; Chelating Agents; Diphosphates; Electrochemical Techniques; Fluorescent Dyes; Silicon; Surface Properties; Transistors, Electronic

A C18 monolayer-functionalized Si surface is electrochemically patterned to yield a carboxylic acid-terminated pattern. Tyramine is covalently linked to the pattern to yield an encoded nanostructure for the enzyme tyrosinase. The biocatalytic oxidation of the tyramine residues yields catechol moieties that control the assembly of boronic acid-functionalized Au nanoparticles (NPs) or magnetic NPs. The different NPs are linked to the patterns by the formation of complexes between the boronic acid residues or Fe3+ ions and the catechol ligands.

Topics: Boronic Acids; Carbon; Catechols; Chemistry, Physical; Electrochemistry; Enzymes; Gold; Ligands; Metal Nanoparticles; Microscopy, Atomic Force; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Nanotechnology; Silicon; Surface Properties; Tyramine