Spatially nanoscale-controlled functional surfaces toward efficient bioactive platforms

Interest in well-defined surface architectures has shown a steady increase, particularly among those involved in biological applications where the reactivity of functional groups on the surface is desired to be close to that of the solution phase. Recent research has demonstrated that utilizing the self-assembly process is an attractive and viable choice for the fabrication of two-dimensional nanoscale-controlled architectures. This review highlights representative examples for controlling the spatial placement of reactive functional groups in the optimization of bioactive surfaces. While the selection is not comprehensive, it becomes evident that surface architecture is one of the key components in allowing efficient biomolecular interactions with surfaces and that the optimized lateral spacing between the immobilized molecules is crucial and even critical in some cases.