Synthesis, modification, and characterization of nanocarbon electrodes for determination of nucleic acids

Abstract

Unique mechanical, electronic, chemical, optical, and electrochemical properties of nanosized carbon materials predestine them for numerous potential applications including photocatalysis, electrochemistry, electronics, and optoelectronics. Carbon nanotubes and graphene are some of the most intensively explored carbon allotropes in materials science. The possibility to translate the individual properties of these monodimensional (carbon nanotubes SWCN, MWCN) and bidimensional (graphene) building units into two-dimensional free-standing thick and thin films has paved the way to use these allotropes in a number of the mentioned applications. Moreover, the possibility to conjugate carbon nanomaterials with biomolecules has received particular attention with respect to the design of chemical sensors and biosensors. In this paper, we reviewed types, structure, and especially different methods of synthesis (preparation) of carbon nanomaterials including arc discharge, laser ablation, and chemical vapor deposition. Moreover, we mentioned some rarely used ways of arc discharge deposition, which involves arc discharge in liquid solutions in contrary to standard used deposition in a gas atmosphere. Besides synthesis, modifications of carbon nanomaterials with biologically important molecules for biosensing of DNA and RNA are discussed.