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An improved method for the production of ultralarge flat and patterned gold surfaces for use in scanning probe studies using a procedure based on epitaxial gold growth on mica is described. The approach is superior in terms of simplicity and reliability without any loss of substrate quality. The gold surface is glued onto an aluminum stub with two part ceramic or polyester glue. The mica is removed by immersing the sample in liquid nitrogen. The liquid nitrogen causes differential contraction of the mica and gold resulting in clean separation to leave large atomically flat planes or patterned features.

The remarkable electrocatalytic properties and small size of carbon nanotubes make them ideal for achieving direct electron transfer to proteins, important in understanding their redox properties and in the development of biosensors. Here, we report shortened SWNTs can be aligned normal to an electrode by self-assembly and act as molecular wires to allow electrical communication between the underlying electrode and redox proteins covalently attached to the ends of the SWNTs, in this case, microperoxidase MP-11. The efficiency of the electron transfer through the SWNTs is demonstrated by electrodes modified with tubes cut to different lengths having the same electron-transfer rate constant.