Design, fabrication and characterization of nanostructured hybrid bio/non-bio interfaces for biomolecular interactions study and industrial applications

Hybrid devices have one or more biological components bioconjugated with functional support surfaces preserving their specific activity and properties. They are extremely interesting from the biotechnological point of view since: 1)They provide a creative way to combine functional properties of different substances into a singular molecular composite; 2) They could show enhanced properties due to the coupling of different elements; 3)Their properties open innovative ways to applications in different fields, such as food, agriculture, medicine and so on. The goal of this PhD thesis is the development of some hybrid-nanocomposites, made of nanostructured materials and biological elements, in which the key issue is the interface between the bio and non-bio components of the systems. Bioconjugated nanostructured materials reveal peculiar physical and chemical properties that can boost their use in biotechnological applications. Inorganic nanoparticles, in particular those based on noble metals and semiconductors in native form or oxide, are becoming common tools in many popular fields of investigation such as nanomedicine, imaging, environmental monitoring and biomolecular sensing. Porous silicon (PSi), Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and Zinc Oxide (ZnO) are three highly-performing nanostructured systems whose features have been exploited in this thesis. The research approach used in this work thesis is focused on the synthesis and fabrication of nanostructured support materials, in planar or in nanoparticle shapes, followed by the functionalization and passivation of the material surfaces. Finally, biological elements are immobilized on the solid supports for specific studies and applications. Different hybrid devices have been developed in this work for applications in several research areas, in particular: Hybrid silicon-based device for the detection of Brugada Syndrome for diagnostic purposes; Luminescent silicon nanoparticles as label-free bioprobes for fluorescent bioimaging applications; Hybrid gold-copper nanoparticles as promising contrast agent in nuclear magnetic resonance; Gold nanoparticles complexed to an antimicrobial peptide to enhance the antibacterial activity of the peptide. The results obtained in each case highlighted the innovative potentialities of these nano-complexes in solving problems and breaking barriers in different ambits, spanning from diagnostic to healthcare