Preparation of a Novel NH2 + Ion Implantation Modified Electrode and Its Study of the Electrochemical Behavior of Hemoglobin

Abstract

A novel functional electrode was obtained by implanting NH₂ ⁺ into ITO film (NH₂/ITO) for the first time. The NH₂/ITO surface showed a better affinity to gold nanoparticles than bare ITO. Gold nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of NH₂/ITO electrode (Au/NH₂/ITO). The Au/NH₂/ITO and NH₂/ITO electrodes were used to observe the electrochemical behavior of Hemoglobin (Hb) immobilized on the electrodes surfaces. The peak current value of Hb immobilized on NH₂/ITO increased compared with on bare ITO while peak current value of Hb immobilized on Au/NH₂/ITO increased compared with on Au/ITO. Linkage between the ‐NH₂ implanted into the ITO film and the ‐COOH of Hb was thought to be the reason for the increase of active Hb coverage on NH₂/ITO compared with bare ITO. Increase of active Hb coverage on Au/NH₂/ITO compare with Au/ITO was attributed to the different amount of gold nanoparticles deposited. Results showed the novel NH₂/ITO and Au/NH₂/ITO electrodes exhibited good stability, reproducibility besides selectivity and sensitivity. The electrode process of Hb immobilized on Au/NH₂/ITO was quasi‐reversible with adsorption. The electrode reaction rate constant k_s and other related constants were determined. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), and impedance spectra were used to characterize the different surfaces.     

Flow potentiometric and constant-current stripping analysis for mercury(II) with gold,platinum and carbon fibre working electrodes : Application to the Analysis of Tap Water

Gold, platinum and carbon fibres with 10-μm diameter were mounted in PVC tubes and used as flow sensors in computerized potentiometric and constant-current stripping analysis for mercury, after electroplating ofa gold film onto the fibre surfaces. Compared to gold and glassy carbon disc electrodes, the fibre electrodes gare increased sensitivity and stability and were considerably simpler to handle. The gold-coated carbon fibre electrode gave a higher background than the gold fibre electrode, in both the potentiometric and constant-current stripping modes. Mercury(II) could be determined in presence of a 10⁵-fold (molar) amount of copper(II) by constant-current stripping in media with chloride concentrations below 0.05 M. The detection limit for mercury(II) after 10 min of electrolysis was 45 ng l^?1 at the 3 σ level.     

Polypyrrole/multiwalled carbon nanotubes‐based biosensor for cholesterol estimation

The nanocomposite electrode comprising of polypyrrole (PPY) and carboxy functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) has been electrochemically fabricated onto indium–tin–oxide (ITO) electrode using p‐toluene sulfonic acid (PTS). Cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) and cholesterol esterase (ChEt) have been immobilized onto this PPY– MWCNT/ITO nanocomposite electrode using N‐ethyl‐N‐(3‐dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide and N‐hydroxy succinimide chemistry for estimation of esterified cholesterol. The ChEt–ChOx/PPY–MWCNT/PTS/ITO bioelectrode has been characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, electrochemical techniques, and scanning electron microscope. This ChEt–ChOx/PPY–MWCNT/PTS/ITO nanobioelectrode has a response time of about 9 s, linearity of 4 × 10^?4 to 6.5 × 10^?3 M/l of cholesterol oleate concentration, K_m of 0.02 mM, and thermal stability of upto 45°C. This electrode exhibits improved biosensing characteristics compared with other total cholesterol electrodes reported in literature till date and can be used to estimate cholesterol in blood serum samples. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of hemoglobin at a novel NH2/ITO ion implantation modified electrode

A novel electrode was prepared by implanting NH₂ ⁺ into an ITO film (NH₂/ITO). Gold nanoparticles were deposited on the surface of NH₂/ITO electrode. The NH₂/ITO and Au/NH₂/ITO electrodes were used to determine hemoglobin (Hb) immobilized on the electrodes surfaces. The relationship of the reductive peak current value of Hb among different electrodes was: Hb/ITO:Hb/Au/ITO:Hb/NH₂/ITO:Hb/Au/NH₂/ITO=1:1.5:2:4. The linkage between the –NH₂ implanted into ITO film and the –COOH of Hb was recognized to be the reason for the increase of active Hb coverage on NH₂/ITO electrode compared with the ITO electrode. Increase of active Hb coverage on Au/NH₂/ITO compared with Au/ITO was attributed to the different amount of gold nanoparticles deposited. The determination of Hb at an Au/NH₂/ITO electrode was optimized. Calibration curve was obtained over the range of 1.0 × 10⁻⁸ – 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol · L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 1.0 × 10⁻⁸ mol · L⁻¹. Results showed that the novel NH₂/ITO and Au/NH₂/ITO electrodes exhibited good stability, reproducibility besides better electrochemical performance. Correspondence: Jing Bo Hu, Department of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China     

Determination of porphyrin dimer in a mixed monolayer of porphyrin/phospholipid transferred on ITO electrodes

The Langmuir–Blodgett method has been used to transfer mixed monolayers of a porphyrin (TMPyP) and a phospholipid (DMPA) from the air|water interface onto optically transparent indium–tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. The surface concentration of porphyrin, Γ, transferred on the ITO surface, has been obtained by integration of the reduction current from the cyclic voltammograms. The experimental Γ values ranged from Γ_m=5.19×10⁻¹¹ mol cm⁻², and corresponding to a compact monolayer of porphyrin monomers in a plane orientation with respect to the surface, to Γ_d=8.65×10⁻¹¹ mol cm⁻², and equivalent to the total amount of the porphyrin molecules at the air|water interface under a compression of 35 mN m⁻¹. Prior to the electrochemical experiments, the transmission spectrum was recorded. The surface concentration obtained of the porphyrin is not directly proportional to the transmission of the film, ΔT. This phenomenon is assigned to the dimer formation and, depending on the surface activity of the ITO electrodes, toward porphyrin adsorption. The dimer structure of TMPyP on an intact ITO electrode is altered with respect to that found at the air|water interface. A simple model has been developed to evaluate the contribution of monomer and dimer phases of the porphyrin in the mixed monolayer. Furthermore, spectroscopic measurements with linearly polarized light under oblique incidence have been performed in order to infer the plane orientation of the TMPyP molecules with respect to the ITO surfaces.     

汞修饰掺锡三氧化二铟导电玻璃光透薄层电化学池的设计

报道了汞膜修饰掺锡三氧化二铟导电玻璃电极的制备及其薄层电化学池的设计，测试限电极和薄层的光、电化学性能，在水溶液中，与基底电极相比，该电极的负电位范围增加了７００ｍＶ，并表现出普通汞电极的电化学 性质，以此电极制得的电极制得的薄层层池可适用于氧化还原电位较负的电化学过程的光谱电化学研究及金属离子的电化学分析。     

Syntheses and modifications of bisdiazonium salts of 3,8-benzo[c]cinnoline and 3,8-benzo[c]cinnoline 5-oxide onto glassy carbon electrode and the characterization of the modified surfaces

The goal of this study was to prepare novel glassy carbon electrode surfaces using two similar bis-diazonium salts, 3,8-benzo[c]cinnoline (3,8-BCC-BDAS) and 3,8-benzo[c]cinnoline 5-oxide (3,8-BCCNO-BDAS) at the glassy carbon (GC) surface. These diazonium salts were reduced electrochemically and covalently electrografted onto the glassy carbon electrode surface to form modified electrodes. Electrochemical reduction of 3,8-BCC-BDAS and 3,8-BCCNO-BDAS salts on the electrode surface yielded a compact and stable film. The existence of BCC moieties on the GC surface was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, reflectance-adsorption infrared spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, ellipsometry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The stability and working potential range of the novel modified electrodes were also studied. The possibility of analytical application of these novel surfaces for inorganic cations and especially selectivity to copper ions was investigated. 3,8-diaminobenzo[c]cinnoline (3,8-DABCC) and its 5-oxide derivative (3,8-DABCCNO) were synthesized from the reductive cyclization of 2,2′-dinitrobenzidine and prepared their bisdiazonium salts via the tetrazotization reactions of the diamines with NaNO₂. The structures of 3,8-DABCC and 3,8-DABCCNO and their corresponding bisdiazonium salts are confirmed by spectral analysis.     

Use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to characterise the physical properties of ex situ reconstructed sea surface microlayer

The objective of this work was to develop electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to characterise the physical properties of the sea surface microlayer ( ssm ). Samples from Lake Rogoznica in Croatia were extracted by n-hexane and dichloromethane (dcm) respectively and transferred to mercury electrodes. The EIS results were compared with those of a model phospholipid, dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine (DOPC) which forms near defect-free monolayers on a mercury surface. The ssm extracts formed inhomogeneous monolayers on the mercury surface and the dcm ssm extract monolayer showed greater surface roughness than the hexane ssm extract. The hexane ssm extract introduced defects and a greater surface roughness into mixed DOPC- ssm extract monolayers than the dcm ssm extract due to the lower compatibility of the non-polar hexane extract with the DOPC than that of the polar ssm extract. In addition, the dcm ssm component in the mixed DOPC- ssm monolayer showed an association with pyrene added to the solution.     

An indium tin oxide electrode modified with gold nanorods for use in potential-controlled surface plasmon resonance studies

The modification of electrodes with gold nanoparticles results in an increased electrode surface area, enhanced mass transport, and improved catalytic properties. We have extended this approach to indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes to obtain optically transparent gold nanorod-modified electrodes which display enhanced electrochemical capabilities and have the additional advantage of showing a tunable surface plasmon resonance. The procedures for attaining high surface coverage (15 gold nanorods per square µm) of such electrodes were optimized, and the potential-dependent surface plasmon resonance was studied under controlled electrical potential. In an exemplary sensor application, we demonstrate the detection of mercury via potential-dependent formation of an Au-Hg amalgam.

Polymer-Mercury Coated Screen-Printed Sensors for Electrochemical Stripping Analysis of Heavy Metals

In the perspective of in-field stripping analysis of heavy metals, the use and disposal of toxic mercury solutions (necessary to plate a mercury film on a carbon electrode surface) presents a problem. The aim of this work was the development of mercury coated screen-printed electrodes previously prepared in the lab and ready to use in-field. Thus some commercially available polymers like Nafion®, Eastman Kodak AQ29®, and Methocel® were investigated as mercury entrapping systems for electrochemical stripping analysis of heavy metals. Screen-printed disposable cells with a silver pseudo-reference electrode, a graphite counter electrode, and a graphite working electrode were used. To modify the sensor, the polymer solution was cast onto the carbon working electrode surface. Detection limits of 0.8 and 1 μg/L were obtained for lead and cadmium respectively. Since Methocel® based electrodes showed the best performance, they were used for the analysis of real samples. The results were compared with those obtained using a classical thin mercury film electrode and ICP spectroscopy.

All the experiments reported here were performed in un-deareated solutions as required for in-field analysis.     

Glucose Monitoring by a Biosensor Based on Mercury Thin Film Electrodes

Abstract

Mercury film electrodes consist of a thin film of mercury deposited on an electrode surface (typically glassy carbon) by reduction of a mercury (II) salt in solution. The surface area/volume ratio is larger for the mercury film electrode, and this electrode is more stable than mercury drop electrode, which allows a faster stirring rate to be used in the deposition step. An enzyme electrode is described, based on glucose oxidase immobilized by gelatin and glutaraldehyde and held over a glassy carbon electrode coated with a thin mercury film. This biosensor responds fast and linearly to glucose in a wide concentration range, which is significant because monitoring of glucose levels is a critical component of diabetes care. Certain optimization and characterization studies were carried out. Average value, standard deviation (SD), and variation coefficient (CV) were calculated with the help of the repeatability studies. Finally, glucose content of human blood samples was monitored with the help of the biosensor presented.     

Peptide Nucleic Acid Immobilized Biocompatible Silane Nanocomposite Platform for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Detection

We have prepared nanocomposite films comprising of 3‐glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GOPS) and iron‐oxide (Fe₃O₄) onto indium‐tin‐oxide (ITO) glass plate for covalent immobilization of 21‐mer peptide nucleic acid (PNA). These films have been characterized using contact angle, atomic force microscopy (AFM), electrochemical techniques. The electrochemical response of the GOPS/ITO and Fe₃O₄‐GOPS/ITO electrodes has been investigated by hybridization with complementary, non‐complementary and one‐base mismatch using methylene blue as electrochemical indicator. The PNA/Fe₃O₄‐GOPS/ITO bioelectrode exhibits improved specificity and detection limit (0.1 fM) as compared to that of the PNA‐GOPS/ITO bioelectrode (0.1 pM). This PNA/Fe₃O₄‐GOPS/ITO electrode can be utilized for detection of hybridization with the complementary sequence in sonicated M. tuberculosis genomic DNA within 90 s of hybridization time.     

An introduction to bismuth film electrode for use in cathodic electrochemical detection

A new electrode surface design, the bismuth film electrode (BiFE), is presented as a promising alternative to mercury and other solid electrodes for direct cathodic electrochemical detection of organic compounds. The preparation of the BiFE, involving an ex situ electroplating of metallic bismuth onto a glassy carbon (GC) substrate electrode, was optimised. The useful negative potential windows of the BiFE in the pH range 1 (−0.2 to −0.8 V vs Ag/AgCl) to 10 (−0.2 to −1.5 V) were determined. The reproducibility of measuring 2-nitrophenol as a model compound (relative standard deviation, r.s.d., n=10) was found to be 0.5% at the same BiFE, and 1.0% at successive newly prepared BiFEs. No polishing or any other pre-treatment of the substrate GC surface was required prior to re-plating of a new Bi film. The BiFE showed similar or even favourable voltammetric behaviour when compared to mercury and bare GC electrodes, and was successfully tested for amperometric detection under hydrodynamic conditions. The results revealed that BiFE is an attractive new non-mercury metallic electrode particularly suitable for cathodic electrochemical detection in flow analytical systems.     

Voltammetric Behavior of Osmium‐Labeled DNA at Mercury Meniscus‐Modified Solid Amalgam Electrodes. Detecting DNA Hybridization

The complex of osmium tetroxide with 2,2′‐bipyridine has been utilized as a probe of DNA structure and an electroactive marker of DNA in DNA hybridization sensors. It produces several voltammetric signals, the most negative of them has been observed only at mercury electrodes. This signal is of catalytic nature affording a high sensitivity of DNA determination. The catalytic current due to evolution of hydrogen in voltammetry of DNA modified by complex of osmium tetroxide with 2,2′‐bipyridine (DNA‐Os,bipy) was studied. Solid amalgam electrodes (modified with mercury menisci) of silver (m‐AgSAE), copper (m‐CuSAE), gold, and of combined bismuth and silver, were used as possible substitutes for mercury electrodes. Besides the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE), the catalytic current was observed only on m‐AgSAE and m‐CuSAE. Electrodes of gold and bismuth amalgams did not give the catalytic current. The detection limit of DNA‐Os,bipy on HMDE was 0.1 ng mL^?1 (RSD=2.3 %, N=11), and on m‐AgSAE 0.2 ng mL^?1 (RSD=3.1%, N=11). The m‐AgSAE was successfully applied as a detection electrode in double‐surface DNA hybridization experiments offering highly specific discrimination between complementary (target) and nonspecific DNAs, as well as determination of the length of a repetitive DNA sequence. The m‐AgSAE has proved a convenient alternative to the HMDE or carbon electrodes used for similar purposes in previous work.     

Tropolone Modified Carbon Paste Electrodes For Trace Measurements of Tin

Abstract

Tin-sensitive chemically modified electrodes were constructed by incorporating the ligand tropolone into the carbon paste matrix. Tin is rapidly collected onto the electrodes and the resulting surfaces are characterized by cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry. the differential pulse peak current, at-0.81V, is ca. 40-fold larger than the corresponding peak at the plain carbon paste electrode. Linear calibration curves are obtained for tin concentrations ranging from 4 to 52 mg/l. the detection limit is 0.2 mg/l. Rapid renewal of the surface allows use of a single electrode in multiple determinations. the relative standard deviation (at the 7 mg/l level) is 2.0%. Interference effects are reported.     

Electrodes of Nontoxic Solid Amalgams for Electrochemical Measurements

The preparation, activation and electrochemical pretreatment of electrodes based on nontoxic solid amalgams were described. Testing of metal solid amalgam electrodes (MeSAEs) proved their broad applicability in many respects, e.g., as to the range of working potentials and the level of background currents, well comparable with those of the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). A regeneration of their surfaces before each measurements could be simply automatized using a PC‐controlled system providing a reasonable repeatability of voltammetric measurements down to 3% RSD. Combination with stripping techniques at accumulation times t_ac=300 s the detection limit amounted to the concentration level of 1 ppb Cu(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), etc. Best electrochemical properties were exhibited by the silver solid amalgam electrode (AgSAE). For example, polished AgSAE (p‐AgSAE), completely free of liquid mercury, proved satisfactory even at more negative potentials enabling the determination of Zn(II), Mn(II), IO , etc. Moreover, even better repeatability of mercury meniscus modified AgSAE (m‐AgSAE) was due to better quality and renewability of its surface. In many cases further testing confirmed that under appropriate conditions MeSAEs represent good, often cheaper and more users‐friendly alternatives to HMDE.     

Rapid and Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of Carbaryl Based on Enzyme Inhibition and Thiocholine Oxidation Mediated by a Ruthenium(III) Complex

In the electrochemical detection method for pesticides that measures their inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterases (AChEs), the direct electrooxidation of the enzyme product (thiocholine, SCh) is slow at conventional electrodes. To overcome this limitation, an electron mediator is required to lower the applied potential and facilitate the transfer of electrons between the enzyme product and electrode. In this study, [Ru(NH₃)₅py]³⁺ is introduced as an electron mediator in inhibition‐based pesticide detection. To obtain a better signal‐to‐background ratio, [Ru(NH₃)₅py]³⁺, which undergoes a fast outer‐sphere reaction, is combined with low‐electrocatalytic indium‐tin‐oxide (ITO) electrodes at which many interfering species undergo slow redox reactions. AChE is immobilized onto an avidin‐modified ITO electrode via the direct adsorption of avidin onto ITO followed by the biospecific binding of biotinylated AChE to the avidin. SCh is generated from acetylthiocholine by AChE. Subsequently, SCh converts [Ru(NH₃)₅py]³⁺ to [Ru(NH₃)₅py]²⁺, which is then oxidized at the ITO electrode. This procedure allows the sensitive detection of carbaryl at a low applied potential of 0.15 V vs Ag/AgCl. The calculated detection limit for carbaryl is approximately 0.3 pM. This simple and sensitive pesticide sensor is thus very promising and should be extendable to the onsite environmental monitoring of other pesticides.     

Disposable Gold Electrodes with Reproducible Area Using Recordable CDs and Toner Masks

The fabrication and characterization of very cheap disposable gold disk electrodes with reproducible area is reported. The innovation of the proposed procedure is the use of toner masks to define reproducible areas on uniform gold surfaces obtained from recordable compact disks (CD‐R). Toner masks are drawn in a laser printer and heat transferred to gold surfaces, defining exactly the electrodes area. The electrochemical behavior of these disposable electrodes was investigated by cyclic voltammetry in Fe(CN)₆^4? solutions. The relative standard deviation for signals obtained from 10 different gold electrodes was below 1 %. The size of the disk electrodes can be easily controlled, as attested by voltammetric responses recorded by using electrodes with radii varying from 0.5 to 3.0 mm. The advantages of using this kind of electrode for analytical measurements of substances that strongly adsorb on the electrode surface such as cysteine are also addressed.     

An Air‐breathing Carbon Cloth‐based Screen‐printed Electrode for Applications in Enzymatic Biofuel Cells

We report a prototype air‐breathing carbon cloth‐based electrode that was fabricated starting from a commercially available screen‐printed electrode equipped with a transparent ITO working electrode (DropSens, ref. ITO10). The fabrication of the air‐breathing electrodes is straightforward, shows satisfactory reproducibility and a good electrochemical response as evaluated by means of [Fe(CN)₆]^3?/4? voltammetry. The gas‐diffusion electrodes were successfully modified with the O₂ reducing enzyme bilirubin oxidase from Myrothecium verrucaria in a direct electron transfer regime. The enzyme modified electrodes showed a remarkable high current density for O₂ reduction in passive air‐breathing mode of up to 5 mA cm^?2. Moreover, the enzyme modified electrodes were applied as O₂ reducing biocathodes in a glucose/air enzymatic biofuel cell in combination with a high current density glucose oxidase/redox polymer bioanode. The biofuel cell provides a high maximum power density of (0.34±0.02) mW cm^?2 at 0.25 V. The straightforward design, low cost and the high reproducibility of these electrodes are considered as basis for standardized measurements under gas‐breathing conditions and for high throughput screening of gas converting (bio‐)catalysts.     

Enhanced electrochemical activity of redox-labels in multi-layered protein films on indium tin oxide nanoparticle-based electrode

Facile electrical communication between redox-active labeling molecules and electrode is essential in the electrochemical detection of bio-affinity reactions. In this report, nanometer-sized indium tin oxide (ITO) particles were employed in the fabrication of porous thick film electrodes to enhance the otherwise impeded electrochemical activity of redox labels in multi-layered protein films, and to enable quantitative detection of avidin/biotin binding interaction. To carry out the affinity reaction, avidin immobilized on an ITO electrode was reacted with mouse IgG labeled with both biotin and ruthenium Tris-(2,2′-bipyridine) (Ru-bipy). The binding reaction between avidin and biotin was detected by the catalytic voltammetry of Ru-bipy in an oxalate-containing electrolyte. On sputtered ITO thin film electrode, although a single layer of Ru-bipy labeled avidin exhibited substantial anodic current, attaching the label to the outer IgG layer of the avidin/biotin-IgG binding pair resulted in almost complete loss of the signal. However, electrochemical current was recovered on ITO film electrodes prepared from nanometer-sized particles. The surface of the nanoparticle structured electrode was found by scanning electron microscopy to be very porous, and had twice as much surface binding capacity for avidin as the sputtered electrode. The results were rationalized by the assumption of different packing density of avidin inner layer on the two surfaces, and consequently different electron transfer distance between the electrode and Ru-bipy on the IgG outer layer. A linear relationship between electrochemical current and IgG concentration was obtained in the range of 40-4000 nmol L⁻¹ on the nanoparticle-based electrode. The approach can be employed in the electrochemical detection of immunoassays using non-enzymatic redox labels.