Imidazolium-based ionic liquid surfaces for biosensing.

Ionic liquid self-assembled monolayers (SAM) were designed and applied for binding streptavidin, promoting affinity biosensing and enzyme activity on gold surfaces of sensors. The synthesis of 1-((+)-biotin)pentanamido)propyl)-3-(12-mercaptododecyl)-imidazolium bromide, a biotinylated ionic liquid (IL-biotin), which self-assembles on gold film, afforded streptavidin sensing with surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The IL-biotin-SAM efficiently formed a full streptavidin monolayer.

Properties of ionic liquids on Au surfaces: non-conventional anion exchange reactions with carbonate.

A simple anion metathesis in diluted aqueous carbonate at room temperature affords 1-(12-mercaptododecyl)-3-methyl-imidazolium carbonate (MDMI-HCO(3)) from MDMI salts self-assembled on gold films and nanoparticles. The properties of MDMI-SAM differ from MDMI in solution, for which the anion exchange reaction does not proceed.

Phase transitions of an ionic liquid self-assembled monolayer on Au.

The properties of a surface modified with an ionic liquid self-assembled monolayer (IL-SAM) can be tuned by simply changing the deposition temperature. Mid-IR, SERS, and molecular modelling demonstrated that 1-(12-mercaptododecyl)-3-methylimidazolium bromide (MDMIBr) exhibited a crystalline monolayer for deposition temperatures below 25 °C. Above 25 °C, the aliphatic chain collapsed into a disordered conformation.