Research Area

Bioinorganic and Biological Chemistry, Electrochemistry.

Our group's research focuses on the design of useful biomaterials and nano-biomaterials. These biomaterials are synthesized in our lab from simple building blocks, including amino acids, nucleotides, and peptide nucleic acids, and are generally conjugated to probe molecules that enable us to monitor the properties of these materials by spectroscopic or electrochemical techniques. We have significant expertise in modifying surfaces with our bioconjugates in an effort to obtain functional devices. Gold surfaces are particularly useful in this regard and can be readily patterned to create electrochemical sensor microarrays.

In our research, we have three major objectives:

1. the development of biosensors (protein, DNA, and chemical detection)
2. the development of nano-structured peptide materials and new peptide devices
3. the discovery of new organometallic bioconjugates

Selected Publications

• R. Afrasiabi, H.-B. Kraatz, “Sonication Induced Coiled Architectures of Boc-L-Phe-L-Lys(Z)-OMe”, Chem. Eur. J. 2013, 19, 1769-1777.
• H. Sun, X. Li, Y. Li, L. Fan, H.-B. Kraatz, “Novel Colorimetric Potassium Sensor Based on the Substitution of Lead from G-Quadruplex”, Analyst 2013, 138, 856-862.
• S. Martić, H.-B. Kraatz, “Chemical biology toolkit for exploring protein kinase catalyzed phosphorylation reactions”, Chem. Sci. 2013, 4, 42-59.
• F. Fathi, F. Lagunge-Labarthet, D. B. Pedersen, H.-B. Kraatz, “Studies of the interaction of two organophosphonates with nanostructured silver surfaces”, Analyst 2012, 137, 4448-4453.
• S. Martic, M. Gabriel, J. P. Turowec, D. W. Litchfield, H.-B. Kraatz, “Versatile Strategy for Biochemical, Electrochemical and Immunoarray Detection of Protein Phosphorylations”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 17036-17045.
• M.N. Alam, M.H. Shamsi, H.-B. Kraatz, “Probing Position Variations of Single-Nucleotide Mismatches in DNA: an Electrochemical Study”, Analyst 2012, 137, 4220 - 4225
• S. Beheshti, S. Martić, H.-B. Kraatz, “Hierarchical Organization of Ferrocene-Peptides”, Chem. Eur. J. 2012, 18, 9099-9105.
• M. H. Shamsi, H.-B. Kraatz, "Electrochemical identification of artificial oligonucleotides related to bovine sepcies. Potential for identification of species based on mismatches in the mitochondrial cytochrome C1 oxidase gene", Analyst, 2011, DOI: 10.1039/clan15414a.
• Z. Lin, X. Li, H.B. Kraatz, "Impedimetric immobilized DNA-based sensor for simultaneous detection of Pb(II), Ag(I), and Hg(II)", Anal. Chem. 2011, 83, 6896-6901, DOI: 10.1021/ac2014096.
• F. Fathi, M. Schlitt, D. B. Pedersen, H.-B. Kraatz, "Chemical behaviour of electrochemically generated nanostructured silver surfaces" , Langmuir, 2011, 27, 12098-12105. DOI: 10.1021/la2015379.
• Y. Li, L. Shi, W. Ma. D.-W. Li, H.-B. Kraatz, Y.-T. Long*, “6-Vinyl Coenzyme Q0: Electropolymerization and Electrocatalysis of NADH Oxidation exploiting poly-p-Quinone-modified Electrode Surfaces”, Bioelectrochemistry, 2011, 80, 128-131.
• S. Martic, M. Labib, H.-B. Kraatz, "On chip electrochemical detection of sarcoma protein kinase and HIV-1 reverse transcriptase", Talanta, 2011, 85, 2430-2436 . DOI:10.1016/j/talanta.2011.07.090.
• H.-Y. Wang, Y.-L. Ying, Y. Li, H.-B. Kraatz, and Y.-T. Long*, “Nanopore Analysis of β-Amyloid Peptide Aggregation Transition Induced by Small Molecules”, Anal. Chem. 2011, 83, 1746–1752.
• L.X. Qin, W. Ma, D.W. Li, Y. Li, X.Y. Chen, H.-B. Kraatz, T.D. James, Y.T. Long, “Coenzyme Q Functionalized CdTe/ZnS Quantum Dots for Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Imaging”, Chem. Eur. J. 2011, 17, 5261-5270.
• L.-Y. Cheng, Y.-T. Long, H.-B. Kraatz, H. Tian, “Evaluation of an immobilized artificial carbonic anhydrase model for CO2 sequestration”, Chem. Sci. 2011, 2, 1515-1518. DOI: 10.1039/C1SC00028D, Edge Article.
• K. Guo, X. Li, H.-B. Kraatz, “Exploiting the Interactions of PNA-DNA Films with Ni2+ Ions: Detection of Nucleobase Mismatches and Electrochemical Genotyping of the Single-Nucleotide Mismatch in apoE 4 Related to Alzheimer's Disease”, Biosensors Bioelectronics 2011, 27, 187-191. doi:10.1016/j.bios.2011.06.013
• H. Song, P. M. Diakowski, R.H.E. Hudson, H.-B. Kraatz, “Effect of ferrocene position on charge transfer in ds-DNA films”, J. Inorg. Organomet Polym. Mat. 2011, in press.
• M. H. Shamsi, H.-B. Kraatz, “The Effects of Oligonucleotide Overhangs on the Surface Hybridization in DNA films: An Impedance Study.” Analyst 2011, 136, 3107-3112.
• S. Martic, M. K. Rains, D. Freeman, H.-B. Kraatz, "The use of 5'-gamma-ferrocenyl adeonsine triphosphate (Fc-ATP) bioconjugates having polyethylene glycol spacers in kinase-catalyzed phosphorylations" Bioconjug. Chem. 2011, 22, 1663-1672.
• M. Labib, S. Martic, P. O. Shipman, H.-B. Kraatz, "Electrochemical analysis of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase serum level: Exploiting protein binding to a functionalized nanostructured surface" Talanta, 2011, 85, 770-788. DOI:10.1016/j.talanta.2011.04.070.
• S. Martic, M. Labib, H.-B. Kraatz, "Electrochemical investigations of sarcoma-related protein kinase inhibition" Electrochim. Acta, 2011, in press.
• S. Martic, M. Labib, P. O. Shipman, H.-B. Kraatz, “Ferrocene-peptido conjugates: From synthesis to sensory applications ” Dalton Trans. Rev., 2011, DOI:10.1039/c0dt01707h.
• M. Labib, P. O. Shipman, S. Martic, H.-B. Kraatz, “A bioorganometallic approach for rapid electrochemical analysis of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase serum level” Electrochim. Acta, 2011, DOI:10.1016/j.electacta.2011.03.063.
• S. Martic, M. Labib, D. Freeman, H.-B. Kraatz, “Probing the role of the linker in Fc-ATP conjugates: Monitoring protein kinase-catalyzed phosphorylation electrochemically” Chem. Eur. J, 2011, in press.
• P. M. Diakowski, H.-B. Kraatz, “Towards the electrochemical identification of species”, Chem. Commun. 2011, 47, 1431-1433.
• S. Beheshti, A. Lataifeh, H.-B. Kraatz, “Hydrogen-Bonding Interactions in Ferrocene Peptide Conjugates Containing Valine”, J. Organomet. Chem. 2011, 696, 1117-1125.
• M. Labib, P. O. Shipman, S. Martic, H.-B. Kraatz, “Towards an early diagnosis of HIV infection: an electrochemical approach for detection of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase enzyme” Analyst, 2011, 136, 708-715.http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c0an00741b
• S. Martic, M. Labib, H.-B. Kraatz, “Enzymatically modified peptide surfaces: towards general electrochemical sensor platform for protein kinase catalyzed phosphorylations.” Analyst, 2011, 136, 107-112. http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c0an00438c
• M. Ogawa, G. Ajayakumar, S. Masaoka, H.-B. Kraatz, K. Sakai, “Platinum(II)-Based Hydrogen-Evolving Catalysts Linked to Multipendant Viologen Acceptors: Experimental and DFT Indications for Bimolecular Pathways" Chem. Eur. J., 2011, 17, 1148-1162. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/chem.201002470