Biotinylation of silicon oxide surfaces, surface stability, and evolution of these functionalized surfaces under biospecific attachment of streptavidin were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Adsorption and stability of species or changes in the resulting surfaces were monitored after each step of the attachment processes. The silicon oxide surface was initially derivatized by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, and the quality of the 3-aminopropylsiloxane (APS) surface was monitored using the Si-O-Si and Si-O-C region of its vibrational spectrum. A strong correlation between surface quality and presilanization atmospheric moisture content was established. The vibrational fingerprint of biotinylation was determined, both for physisorption and chemisorption to the surface. A new band (i.e., not previously associated with biotin) at similar to 1250 cm(-1) was identified as a vibrational mode of the biotin ureido group, making it possible to track changes in the biotinylated surface in the presence of streptavidin. Some of the biotin ureido at the surface was found to be affected by the protein adsorption and rinse steps while remaining chemisorbed to the surface. The stability of the APS was found to impact the behavior of the biotinylated surface (measured using the Si-O-Si/Si-O-C and similar to 1250 cm(-1) absorption bands, respectively).