Effects of water molecules on binding kinetics of peptide receptor on a piezoelectric microcantilever

The use of highly selective reversible peptide receptors is essential for cantilever-based electronic nose systems. Here, we present the effects of water molecules on the binding kinetics of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) molecules with DNT selective peptide receptors linked with a tri(ethylene glycol)-based (TEG) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) in a gas phase in a piezoelectric microcantilever sensor. We observed 1.5-times faster reaction kinetics in wet conditions compared with dry conditions. In a dissociation step, distinctive differences in the recovery time were observed in wet conditions, which could be attributed to water retention efficiency of TEG-linkers for the conformation of biomolecules.