Gold nanostars with an average tip‐to‐tip length of 52±6 nm were functionalized with different capping agents and used as electrode modification materials for protein electrochemistry. Direct electron transfer between cytochrome c and nanostar‐coated pyrolytic graphite electrodes was observed with the protein in solution. The electrochemical response was improved at nanostars functionalized with a 1 : 1 mixture of 11‐mercaptoundecanoic acid and 4‐mercaptobenzoic acid in comparison with gold nanospheres coated with a similar functionalization. Further immobilization of cytochrome c on pyrolytic graphite while conjugated with the same nanostars guaranteed the maintenance of the protein's native properties, whereas direct adsorption on the bare or nanostar‐modified electrodes resulted in an altered conformational state. The pseudo‐peroxidase activity of the altered cytochrome c was enhanced in the presence of the nanostars.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.