Electronic detection of bacteria using holey reduced graphene oxide

Carbon nanomaterials have been widely explored for diverse biosensing applications including bacterial detection. However, covalent functionalization of these materials can lead to the destruction of attractive electronic properties. To this end, we utilized a new graphene derivative, holey reduced graphene oxide (hRGO), functionalized with Magainin I to produce a broad-spectrum bacterial probe. Unlike related carbon nanomaterials, hRGO retains the necessary electronic properties while providing the high percentage of available oxygen moieties required for effective covalent functionalization.