Ferrocene-based acrylate copolymer multilayers with efficient antifouling and electrochemical redox properties

Abstract

Sensitivity and reliability are critical sensor parameters that can be optimized using electrochemical methods. The selection of appropriate electron-transfer media and strategies for preventing the surface contamination of electrochemical sensors is vital for securing high sensing performance. In particular, the undesired signals due to surface bacterial infections and biofilm formation adversely affect the reliability of biosensors. In view of its favorable redox properties and excellent reversibility, ferrocene was selected as an electron-transfer medium in this study, and ferrocene-based amphiphilic multifunctional polymers with resistance to biofouling were synthesized using polyethylene glycol (PEG) methacrylate to minimize the contamination of the sensor surface and maximize reliability and stability. The PEG-conjugated polymer coating minimized interactions with biological contaminants such as cells and proteins, facilitating the construction of biosensors with excellent detection limits and sensitivity. Unlike typical polymer coatings, the optimized layer-by-layer coatings employed in this study formed dense and stable multifunctional multilayer films with high biocompatibility, anti-biofouling, and reproducible properties, allowing for the effective control of coating-layer thickness, the generation of reproducible electrode-surface-layer designs, and predictable electrical signals. Thus, this study facilitates the construction of reliable antifouling platforms that are suitable for disease diagnosis and biomarker detection, inhibit biological infection, and improve the sensitivity of existing analytical methods.