A chimeric enzyme based on the genetic fusion of a laccase with a hydrophobin domain was employed to functionalize few-layer graphene, previously exfoliated from graphite in the presence of the hydrophobin. The as-produced, biofunctionalized few-layer graphene was characterized by electrochemistry and Raman spectroscopy, and finally employed in the biosensing of phenols such as catechol and dopamine. This strategy paves the way for the functionalization of nanomaterials by hydrophobin domains of chimeric enzymes and their use in a variety of electrochemical applications.
Keywords: graphene; hydrophobin; laccase.