Molecular Mechanisms of Interactions between Monolayered Transition Metal Dichalcogenides and Biological Molecules

• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b03641
• Publication Date: 2019-06-03T19:12:45Z
• Authors: Minyu Xiao; Shuai Wei; Junjie Chen; Jiayi Tian; Charles L. Brooks...; E. Neil G. Marsh; Zhan Chen
• Keywords: Biomolecule; Microelectronics; Force Spectroscopy

Single layered two-dimensional (2D) materials such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) show great potential in many microelectronic or nanoelectronic applications. For example, because of extremely high sensitivity, TMD-based biosensors have become promising candidates for next-generation label-free detection. However, very few studies been conducted on understanding the fundamental interactions between TMDs and other molecules including biological molecules, making rational design sensors (including biosensors) difficult. This study focuses investigations proteins two widely researched single-layered TMDs, MoS2, WS2 using a combined with linear vibrational spectroscopy attenuated total reflectance FTIR nonlinear sum frequency generation spectroscopy, supplemented by molecular dynamics simulations. It was concluded that large surface hydrophobic region relatively flat location protein is required to adsorb onto monolayered MoS2 preferred orientation. No disulfide bond formation cysteine groups found. The conclusions are general can be used guiding principles engineer attach TMDs. approach adopted here also applicable 2D biomolecules.