Interaction of Graphene Oxide with Proteins and Applications of their Conjugates

Graphene oxide (GO) has abundant surface oxygen-containing groups such as epoxide, hydroxyl, and carboxylic groups; it can be prepared through the oxidative intercalation and exfoliation of graphite on a mass scale. Owing to the enriched surface functionalities, the GO is water-soluble and chemically versatile. The surface functional groups can also provide plenty of reaction sites for linking nanoparticles, proteins, enzymes, peptides, bacteria, cells, and nucleic acids through covalent and non-covalent binding. GO has been used as a matrix for protein immobilization in different biotechnological applications such as fluorescence- or electrochemical-based sensors, labeling and imaging, therapy, and targeted delivery. This paper reviews the main strategies for the assembly of proteins onto graphene oxide surface and their applications, especially in the biomedical area.