In this study, the surface-treatment of pyrolyzed carbon microelectrodes - which are otherwise chemically inert - for improving their attachment chemistry with double-stranded DNA molecular wires as part of a bio-nanoelectronics platform is investigated. Pyrolyzed carbon microelectrodes were fabricated using standard negative lithography procedures with SU-8 (10) negative-tone photoresist on a silicon wafer. These microelectrode structures were then pyrolyzed and converted to a form of conductive carbon that we refer to as PSU-8. Functionalization of the resulting pyrolyzed structures was done using oxygen plasma etching and the results confirmed with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Post-pyrolysis analysis using Electron Dispersion X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) showed a decrease in oxygen content after pyrolysis and higher oxygen concentrations at the edges and location of defects. FTIR results confirmed the presence of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups in both untreated pyrolyzed carbon (PSU-8) and plasma-treated PSU-8 structures.
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