Adsorption behavior of DNA-wrapped carbon nanotubes on self-assembled monolayer surfaces

We have examined the adsorption of DNA-wrapped single-walled carbon nanotubes (DNA-SWNTs) on hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and charged surfaces of alkylthiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold. Our goal is to understand how DNA-SWNTs interact with surfaces of varying chemical functionality. These samples were characterized using reflection absorption FTIR (RAIRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy. We have found that DNA-SWNTs preferentially adsorb to positively charged amine-terminated SAMs and to bare gold surfaces versus hydrophobic methyl-terminated or negatively charged carboxylic acid-terminated SAMs. Examination of the adsorption on gold of single-strand DNA (ssDNA) of the same sequence used to wrap the SWNTs suggests that the DNA wrapping plays a role in the adsorption behavior of DNA-SWNTs.