Abstract
Flexible strategies for the biochemical functionalization of synthetic nanoscale materials can enhance
their impact upon a broader range of devices and applications. Here we report approaches for the
heterogeneous functionalization of vertically aligned carbon nanofibers, a nanostructured material
increasingly used to provide nanoscale components in microfabricated devices. Photoresist blocking
strategies are developed for site-specific physical, chemical, and electrochemical functionalization of
nanofiber arrays both spatially across regions of the device as well as along the length of the vertical
nanofibers. These approaches are explored for the functionalization of nanofiber surfaces with gold,
conductive polymers, and DNA and for the biotinylation and subsequent capture of active enzyme- and
quantum-dot-conjugated (strept)avidins. Functionalizations are visualized with both fluorescent and electron
microscopy and characterized using dye and enzyme assays.
