Click chemistry-based functionalization on non-oxidized silicon substrates

Copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), combined with the chemical stability of the Si-C-bound organic layer, serves as an efficient tool for the modification of silicon substrates, particularly for the immobilization of complex biomolecules. This review covers recent advances in the preparation of alkynyl- or azido-terminated "clickable" platforms on non-oxidized silicon and their further derivatization by means of the CuAAC reaction. The exploitation of these "click"-functionalized organic thin films as model surfaces to study many biological events was also addressed, as they are directly relevant to the on-going effort of creating silicon-based molecular electronics and chemical/biomolecular sensors.