A biomemory chip composed of a myoglobin/CNT heterolayer fabricated by the protein-adsorption-precipitation-crosslinking (PAPC) technique

Abstract

In this study, a biomemory chip consisting of a myoglobin/carbon nanotube (CNT) heterolayer is fabricated via the protein-adsorption-precipitation-crosslinking (PAPC) technique for electrochemical signal enhancement, long-term stability, and improved memory function. The PAPC technique is used to fabricate a myoglobin/CNT heterolayer with a CNT core and a high-density myoglobin-shell structure to achieve efficient heterolayer formation and improved performance of the heterolayer. The fabricated myoglobin/CNT heterolayer is immobilized onto a Au substrate through a chemical linker. The surface morphology of the deposited heterolayer is investigated via transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The redox properties of the myoglobin/CNT heterolayer are investigated by cyclic voltammetry, and the memory function of the heterolayer, including the "write step" and "erase step," is measured by chronoamperometry. Compared with the myoglobin monolayer without CNT, the myoglobin/CNT heterolayer fabricated by the PAPC technique exhibits greater electrochemical signal enhancement, long-term stability at room temperature, and improved memory function. The results suggest that the proposed myoglobin/CNT heterolayer produced via the PAPC technique can be applied as a platform for bioelectronic devices to achieve improved signal intensity and durability. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.