CONDUCTING POLYMER-PROTEIN INTERACTIONS IN COMPOSITE FILMS - A SPECTROSCOPIC STUDY

Because of the peculiar physics of polyconjugated molecules, the spect roscopic properties (infrared and Raman) can reflect with great detail the molecular properties of such materials. The vibrational spectra t hen become a unique tool for the molecular characterization of the mat erials in their pristine and doped state or when they are made to inte ract with additional guest molecules. In this paper we describe the ef fect, at the molecular level, of the inclusion of proteins (glucose ox idase and peroxidase) in films of host materials of the class of polyt hiophenes (in the doped state). Care was taken to keep the biological activity of the enzyme (guest) at a very reasonable level, even when e mbedded in the polymer host matrix. This study is aimed at contributin g to the development of science and technology of novel devices in the field of bioelectronics, in which the polyconjugated material is used as an interface between the active enzyme and the inorganic moiety wh ich elaborates the signal.