Functionalization of Graphene and Graphene Oxide for Plasmonic and Biosensing Applications

As a new generation of two-dimensional carbon nanostructures, graphene oxide (GO) has received considerable attention in the field of plasma excitation in recent years. GO contains oxygen on its surface in the form of epoxy (-O), hydroxyl (-OH), carboxyl (-COOH), and ether functional groups on the carbon frame. These oxygen functional groups can easily be modified with different compounds, and they can be used to modulate plasmonic coupling and also enhance the biological affinity of the combination. In addition, the modified carboxyl group on the GO surface has been used in biosensors to prompt the investigation of new materials. Carboxyl-substituted epoxy and hydroxyl groups covering the GO surface may represent a new type of sensing material. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether GO-based materials can be chemically modified to increase surface plasmon resonance sensitivity, and whether such materials can be used in clinical diagnostic protein-protein interaction applications, especially where the molecular detection of tumors is feasible.