Chemically modified surfaces with self-assembled aromatic functionalities

A surface-modified electrode comprising:

• a. a conductive substrate;
• and
• b. a surface modifying layer disposed on a surface of the conductive substrate, wherein the surface modifying layer comprises a two-part surface modification agent comprising:
• i. a polyaromatic derivative having a polyaromatic moiety and a reactive functional group;
• and
• ii. a molecular analyte complex comprising a molecular analyte functionalized with a polyaromatic moiety;
• wherein the reactive functional group of the polyaromatic derivative is covalently bound to the surface of the conductive substrate, and wherein the molecular analyte complex is non-covalently attached to the polyaromatic derivative via π-interactions of aromatic stacking between the polyaromatic moiety of the molecular analyte complex and the polyaromatic moiety of the polyaromatic derivative such that the molecular analyte complex is physisorbed onto the surface of the conductive substrate.