Interaction of Graphene-on-Al(111) Composite with D-Glucopyranose and Its Application in Biodetection

Carbohydrates play a key role in biology, medicine, nanotechnology, and energy storage. However, the physics underlying the interaction between nanomaterials and carbohydrates is still unclear. In this study, we analyzed the interaction of the graphene-on-Al(111) composite with D-glucopyranose. It was observed that the D-glucopyranose molecule can be steadily adsorbed on the surface of the graphene-on-Al(111) composite. The mechanism of this stable adsorption was revealed by the local charges in the graphene induced by the polar group in D-glucopyranose when they are close to each other. Simulated scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images of D-glucopyranose on the surface of the graphene-on-Al(111) composite, as application of this nanomaterial, show that the gg conformations of D-glucopyranose can be distinguished from the other conformations via the STM technique as a result of the interaction of the graphene-on-Al(111) composite with D-glucopyranose. Therefore, the graphene-on-Al(111) composite is expected to be a potential nanomaterial for detecting single biomolecules. The findings of this study greatly contribute to the fields of nanomaterials and biotechnology, including the development of high-accuracy bioedvices and biosensors.