Probing nano-bio interfaces between biomolecules and oxide nanostructures using optical Spectroscopies

Recently, nano-bio interfaces have been the subject of significant research in both academic as well as industrial laboratories worldwide due to wide range applications in bio-sensing devices as well as drug delivery. Nanoconjugates with cells, organelles, and intracellular structures containing DNA, RNA, and proteins establish sequences of nano-bio boundaries that depend on several intricate complex bio physicochemical reactions. The ultimate success of the bio sensing devices critically depends on the understating and manipulation of complex nano-bio interaction at molecular level. Currently, we are investigating the nano-bio interactions between biomolecules such as glucose, RNA, DNA, and ATP and inorganic nanostructures of ZnO at a molecular level. ZnO nanostructures including hydrothermally synthesized nanorods and pulsed laser deposited thin films and vertically aligned nanorods on Si/SiO 2 substrate are brought in contact with biomolecules in order to map their short- and long-range interactive processes via characterization methods like atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and UV- VIS, Raman, fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies. In parallel, we also employ density functional calculation to verify the optimum energy configuration between the two materials, giving a more complete picture of their interaction via simulation. Knowledge gained from these studies can be used to probe nano-bio interactions at other nano-bio interfaces to develop robust bio nanoconjugates with optimum functionality to be used for drug delivery and biosensors applications.