Supramolecular Recognition Sites for Chemosensors

So far, host-guest interactions have been investigated only in homogeneous phase. However, application in chemosensing devices requires covalent attachment of the receptors to the surface. Valinomycin [95] and gramicidin [96] were successfully applied as sensors for potassium ions in bilayers. The bilayers have been covalently attached to gold electrodes. 

In this section, we wish to discuss the results of recent studies on cyclopeptides carried out by our group [97-99]. Cyclopeptides as molecular receptors have been immobilized on different sensor surfaces, and can be prepared in high diversity by parallel solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) [100], However, functional groups for the attachment to the surface must be available. On the other hand, the interaction with the analyte should be as specific as possible, and for this reason appropriate side chains must be selected. 

---