Electrochemical-signal enhanced information storage device composed of cytochrome c/SNP bilayer.

The films organized with biomolecules and organic materials are important elements for developing bioelectronic devices according to their electron transfer property. Until now, several concepts of techniques have been accomplished to be used for developing biomemory devices. However it is difficult to detect the current signal from the electron transfer between biomolecules and the substrate in these fabricated films. To enhance the current signal, the silver nanoparticle was introduced to the cytochrome c in this present study. The surface morphology of the fabricated film was investigated by atomic force microscopy. The current signal enhancement was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. As a result, we could obtain the redox potentials. Moreover, by chronoamperometry, we validated that this proposed layer showed the signal-enhanced memory property for biomemory devices. This new film composed of the cytochrome c and the silver nanoparticle showed the signal enhancement. Using chronoamperometry, the areas under the graphs between 0 s and 50 ms were calculated. The calculated result showed that the areas under the cytochrome c/SNP graph and cytochrome c graph were 6.93 x 10(-7) C and 4.54 x 10(-7) C, respectively. This numerical value verified that the cytochrome c/silver nanoparticle hetero-layer film showed better electron charged biomemory performance compared to the cytochrome c monolayer. This signal-enhanced film can be applied to the bioelectronic devices which are able to replace existing electronic devices in the near future.

Fabrication of biomolecules self-assembled on Au nanodot array for bioelectronic device.

In the present study, an nano-platform composed of Au nanodot arrays on which biomolecules could be self-assembled was developed and investigated for a stable bioelectronic device platform. Au nanodot pattern was fabricated using a nanoporous alumina template. Two different biomolecules, a cytochrome c and a single strand DNA (ssDNA), were immobilized on the Au nanodot arrays. Cytochorme c and single stranded DNA could be immobilized on the Au nanodot using the chemical linker 11-MUA and thiol-modification by covalent bonding, respectively. The atomic structure of the fabricated nano-platform device was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The electrical conductivity of biomolecules immobilized on the Au nanodot arrays was confirmed by scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). To investigate the activity of biomolecule-immobilized Au-nano dot array, the cyclic voltammetry was carried out. This proposed nano-platform device, which is composed of biomolecules, can be used for the construction of a novel bioelectronic device.

Fabrication of biofilm in nanoscale consisting of cytochrome f/2-MAA bilayer on Au surface for bioelectronic devices by self-assembly technique.

We developed the nanoscale biofilm consisting of cytochrome f self-assembled on 2-MAA layer to apply bioelectronic devices. As cytochrome f has redox property, it can be possible to apply bioelectronic devices. The fabricated biofilm was confirmed by SPR and STM experiment. And the electrochemical property was checked by CV, CA, and STS.

Photoinitiated Polymerization of Hydrogels by Graphene Quantum Dots.

As a smart stimulus-responsive material, hydrogel has been investigated extensively in many research fields. However, its mechanical brittleness and low strength have mattered, and conventional photoinitiators used during the polymerization steps exhibit high toxicity, which limits the use of hydrogels in the field of biomedical applications. Here, we address the dual functions of graphene quantum dots (GQDs), one to trigger the synthesis of hydrogel as photoinitiators and the other to improve the mechanical strength of the as-synthesized hydrogel. GQDs embedded in the network effectively generated radicals when exposed to sunlight, leading to the initiation of polymerization, and also played a significant role in improving the mechanical strength of the crosslinked chains. Thus, we expect that the resulting hydrogel incorporated with GQDs would enable a wide range of applications that require biocompatibility as well as higher mechanical strength, including novel hydrogel contact lenses and bioscaffolds for tissue engineering.

Control of electrochemical signals from quantum dots conjugated to organic materials by using DNA structure in an analog logic gate.

Various bio-logic gates have been studied intensively to overcome the rigidity of single-function silicon-based logic devices arising from combinations of various gates. Here, a simple control tool using electrochemical signals from quantum dots (QDs) was constructed using DNA and organic materials for multiple logic functions. The electrochemical redox current generated from QDs was controlled by the DNA structure. DNA structure, in turn, was dependent on the components (organic materials) and the input signal (pH). Independent electrochemical signals from two different logic units containing QDs were merged into a single analog-type logic gate, which was controlled by two inputs. We applied this electrochemical biodevice to a simple logic system and achieved various logic functions from the controlled pH input sets. This could be further improved by choosing QDs, ionic conditions, or DNA sequences. This research provides a feasible method for fabricating an artificial intelligence system.

Electrochemical Bioelectronic Device Consisting of Metalloprotein for Analog Decision Making.

We demonstrate an analog type logical device that combines metalloprotein and organic/inorganic materials and can make an interactive analog decision. Myoglobin is used as a functional biomolecule to generate electrochemical signals, and its original redox signal is controlled with various mercapto-acids by the distance effect between myoglobin and a metal surface in the process of electron transfer. Controlled signals are modulated with the introduction of inorganic materials including nanoparticles and metal ions. By forming a hybrid structure with various constituents of organic/inorganic materials, several functions for signal manipulation were achieved, including enhancement, suppression, and shift. Based on the manipulated signals of biomolecules, a novel logical system for interactive decision-making processes is proposed by selectively combining different signals. Through the arrangement of various output signals, we can define interactive logical results regulated by an inherent tendency (by metalloprotein), personal experience (by organic spacer sets), and environments (by inorganic materials). As a practical application, a group decision process is presented using the proposed logical device. The proposed flexible logic process could facilitate the realization of an artificial intelligence system by mimicking the sophisticated human logic process.