Fabrication of an Electrochemical L‐Cysteine Sensor Based on Graphene Nanosheets Decorated Manganese Oxide Nanocomposite Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

The graphene nanosheets/manganese oxide nanoparticles modified glassy carbon electrode (GC/GNSs/MnOx) was simply prepared by casting a thin film of GNSs on the GC electrode surface, followed by performing electrodeposition of MnOx at applied constant potential. The GC/GNSs/MnOx modified electrode shows high catalytic activity toward oxidation of L ‐cysteine. Hydrodynamic amperometry determination of L ‐cysteine gave linear responses over a concentration range up to 120 µM with a detection limit of 75 nM and sensitivity of 27 nA µM^?1. The GC/GNSs/MnOx electrode appears to be a highly efficient platform for the development of sensitive, stable and reproducible L ‐cysteine electrochemical sensors.     

Sensitive determination of D-lactic acid and L-lactic acid in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

d ‐Lactic acid in urine originates mainly from bacterial production in the intestinal tract. Increased d ‐lactate excretion as observed in patients affected by short bowel syndrome or necrotizing enterocolitis reflects d ‐lactic overproduction. Therefore, there is a need for a reliable and sensitive method able to detect d ‐lactic acid even at subclinical elevation levels. A new and highly sensitive method for the simultaneous determination of l ‐ and d ‐lactic acid by a two‐step procedure has been developed. This method is based on the concentration of lactic acid enantiomers from urine by supported liquid extraction followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The separation was achieved by the use of an Astec Chirobiotic? R chiral column under isocratic conditions. The calibration curves were linear over the ranges of 2–400 and 0.5–100 µmol/L respectively for l ‐ and d ‐lactic acid. The limit of detection of d ‐lactic acid was 0.125 µmol/L and its limit of quantification was 0.5 µmol/L. The overall accuracy and precision were well within 10% of the nominal values. The developed method is suitable for production of reference values in children and could be applied for accurate routine analysis. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dopamine and Glucose Sensors Based on Glassy Carbon Electrodes Modified with Melanic Polymers

This work deals with the study of polymers electrogenerated from different catechols at glassy carbon electrodes and the analytical applications of the resulting modified electrodes for dopamine quantification and glucose biosensing. The electropolymerization was performed from a 3.0×10^?3 M catechol solution (catechol, dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine or L ‐dopa in a 0.050 M phosphate buffer pH 7.40) by applying 1.00 V for 60 min. The properties of the polymers are very dependent on the nature of the catechol, L ‐dopa being the best. Glassy carbon electrodes modified with melanic polymers electrogenerated from L ‐dopa and norepinephrine were found to be suitable for dopamine determinations in flow systems, although the behavior was highly dependent on the nature of the monomer. Detection limits of 5.0 nM dopamine and interferences of 9.0 and 2.6% for 5.0×10^?4 M ascorbic acid and 5.0×10^?5 M dopac, respectively, were obtained at the glassy carbon electrode modified with a melanin‐type polymer generated from L ‐dopa (using 1.0×10^?3 M AA in the measurement solution). The advantages of using a melanin‐type polymer generated from dopamine to improve the selectivity of glucose biosensors based on carbon paste electrodes containing Pt and glucose oxidase (GOx) are also discussed. The resulting bioelectrodes combines the high sensitivity of metallized electrodes with the selectivity given by the polymeric layer. They exhibit excellent performance for glucose with a rapid response (around 10 seconds per sample), a wide linear range (up to 2.5×10^?2 M glucose), low detection limits (143 μM) and a highly reproducible response (R.S.D of 4.9%). The bioelectrodes are highly stable and almost free from the interference of large excess of easily oxidizable compounds found in biological fluids, such as ascorbic acid (AA), uric acid (UA) and acetaminophen.     

Electrocatalytic Characteristics of Ferrocenecarboxylic Acid Modified Carbon Paste Electrode in the Oxidation and Determination of L‐Cysteine

The electrochemical behavior of L ‐cysteine studied at the surface of ferrocenecarboxylic acid modified carbon paste electrode (FCMCPE) in aqueous media using cyclic voltammetry and double step potential chronoamperometry. It has been found that under optimum condition (pH 7.00) in cyclic voltammetry, the oxidation of L ‐cysteine is occurs at a potential about 580 mV less positive than that an unmodified carbon paste electrode. The kinetic parameters such as electron transfer coefficient, α and catalytic reaction rate constant, K′_h were also determined using electrochemical approaches. The electrocatalytic oxidation peak current of L ‐cysteine showed a linear dependent on the L ‐cysteine concentration and linear calibration curves were obtained in the ranges of 10^?5 M–10^?3 M and 4.1×10^?8 M–3.7×10^?5 M of L ‐cysteine concentration with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) methods respectively. The detection limits (2δ) were determined as 2.4×10^?6 M and 2.5×10^?8 M by CV and DPV methods. This method was also examined for determination of L ‐cysteine in some samples, such as Soya protein powder, serum of human blood by using recovery and standard addition methods.     

Selective and Sensitive Electrochemical Sensor for L‐Methionine at Physiological pH Using Functionalized Triazole Polymer Film Modified Electrode

This communication describes the determination of an essential amino acid, L ‐methionine (L ‐Met) in the presence of important interferents, ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA) at physiological pH using a glassy carbon electrode modified with an electropolymerized film of 3‐amino‐5‐mercapto‐1,2,4‐triazole (p‐AMTa). The bare glassy carbon electrode fails to show a voltammetric signal for L ‐Met in the presence of AA and UA at pH 7.2. However, the p‐AMTa electrode separates the voltammetric signals of AA, UA and L ‐Met with pronounced oxidation currents. The amperometric current of L ‐Met was increased linearly from 1.0×10^?7 to 1×10^?4 M and the detection limit was found to be 4.12×10^?10 M (S/N=3).     

Electrocatalytic Oxidation and Voltammetric Determination of L‐Cysteic Acid at the Surface of p‐Bromanil Modified Carbon Paste Electrode

The electrochemical properties of L ‐cysteic acid studied at the surface of p‐bromanil (tetrabromo‐p‐benzoquinone) modified carbon paste electrode (BMCPE) in aqueous media by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and double step potential chronoamperometry. It has been found that under optimum condition (pH 7.00) in cyclic voltammetry, the oxidation of L ‐cysteic acid at the surface of BMCPE occurs at a half‐wave potential of p‐bromanil redox system (e.g., 100 mV vs. Ag|AgCl|KCl_sat), whereas, L ‐cysteic acid was electroinactive in the testing potential ranges at the surface of bare carbon paste electrode. The apparent diffusion coefficient of spiked p‐bromanil in paraffin oil was also determined by using the Cottrell equation. The electrocatalytic oxidation peak current of L ‐cysteic acid exhibits a linear dependency to its concentration in the ranges of 8.00×10^?6 M–6.00×10^?3 M and 5.2×10^?7 M–1.0×10^?5 M using CV and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) methods, respectively. The detection limits (2σ) were determined as 5.00×10^?6 M and 4.00×10^?7 M by CV and DPV methods. This method was used as a new, selective, rapid, simple, precise and suitable voltammetric method for determination of L ‐cysteic acid in serum of patient's blood with migraine disease.     

L‐Cysteine Voltammetry at a Carbon Paste Electrode Bulk‐Modified with Ferrocenedicarboxylic Acid

The electrochemical behavior of L ‐cysteine studied at the surface of ferrocenedicarboxylic acid modified carbon paste electrode (FDCMCPE) in aqueous media using cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry and double potential step chronoamperometry. It has been found that under optimum condition (pH 8.00) in cyclic voltammetry, the oxidation of L ‐cysteine occurs at a potential about 200 mV less positive than that of an unmodified carbon paste electrode. The kinetic parameters such as electron transfer coefficient, α, and catalytic reaction rate constant, k_h were also determined using electrochemical approaches. The electrocatalytic oxidation peak current of L ‐cysteine showed a linear dependent on the L ‐cysteine concentration and linear analytical curves were obtained in the ranges of 3.0×10^?5 M–2.2×10^?3 M and 1.5×10^?5 M–3.2×10^?3 M of L ‐cysteine concentration with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) methods respectively. The detection limits (3σ) were determined as 2.6×10^?5 M and 1.4×10^?6 M by CV and DPV methods.     

Electrografting of 4‐tert‐Butylcatechol on GC Electrode. Selective Electrochemical Determination of Homocysteine

A new sensor based on the grafting of 4‐tert‐butylcatechol on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GC) was developed for the catalytic oxidation of homocysteine ( Hcy ). The GC‐modified electrode exhibited a reversible redox response at neutral pH. Under the optimum conditions cyclic voltammetric results indicated the excellent electrocatalytic activity of modified electrode toward the oxidation of Hcy at reduced over‐potential about 350 mV. A linear dynamic range of 0.01–3.0 mM and a detection limit of 1.0 µM were obtained for Hcy . The modified electrode was used as an electrochemical sensor for selective determination of Hcy in human blood.     

Determination of methotrexate, 7-hydroxymethotrexate,and 2,4-diamino-N10-methylpteroic acid by LC–MS/MS in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid and application in a pharmacokinetic analysis of high-dose methotrexate

A rapid and robust method for measuring methotrexate (MTX) and its two primary metabolites, 7-hydroxymethotrexate (7-OHMTX) and 2,4-diamino-N¹⁰-methylpteroic acid (DAMPA), was developed for use in pharmacokinetic studies of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid samples collected from infants with malignant brain tumors. Sample aliquots (100?µL) were prepared for bioanalysis of MTX and metabolites using a Waters Oasis HLB microelution solid-phase extraction (SPE) plate. Chromatography was performed using a Phenomenex Synergi Polar-RP 4 µ 75?×?2.0?mm ID column heated to 40°C. A rapid gradient elution on a Shimadzu HPLC system was used, with mobile phase A consisting of water/formic acid (100/0.1?v/v) and mobile phase B consisting of acetonitrile/formic acid (100/0.1?v/v). Column eluent was analyzed using AB Sciex QTRAP 5500 instrumentation in electrospray ionization mode. The ion transitions (m/z) monitored were 455.2?→?308.1, 471.1?→?324.1, and 326.2?→?175.1 for MTX, 7-OHMTX, and DAMPA, respectively. The method was linear over 0.0022–5.5?µM for MTX, 0.0085–21?µM for 7-OHMTX, and 0.0031–7.7?µM for DAMPA. The method was applied to the analysis of serial plasma samples obtained from infants diagnosed with malignant brain tumors receiving high-dose methotrexate and results were compared to MTX concentrations from an immunoassay based on fluorescence polarization.     

Synthesis,Cytotoxic Activity Evaluation of Novel 1,2,3‐Triazole Linked Quinazoline Derivatives

A series of novel 1,2,3‐triazole‐quinazoline derivatives were synthesized in five steps starting from anthranilamide by conventional methods. All the title compounds 10a — 10r were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against four human cancer cell lines (MGC ‐803, EC ‐109, MCF ‐7 and HGC ‐27) using MTT assay in vitro . Some of the synthesized compounds exhibited moderate to potent activity against tested cancer cell lines. Among them, compounds 10 h and 10q exhibited excellent growth inhibition against HGC ‐27 and compound 10 m also possessed excellent activity against MCF ‐7, with IC₅₀ values less than 1 µmol/L. Especially, compound 10 h was more cytotoxic than 5‐fluorouracil against all tested four human cancer cell lines.     

Electrochemical determination of mesotrione and its degradation products on glassy carbon electrode

A simple, fast and sensitive analytical method was developed for the quantification of herbicide mesotrione (MES) and its degradation products: 4-(methylsulfonyl)-2-nitrobenzoic acid (MNBA) and 2-amino-4-(methylsulfonyl) benzoic acid (AMBA) using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Voltammetric measurements were performed using glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Potential range, pH of the electrolyte and the scan rate were optimised to achieve the lowest detection limits of analytes. The optimal conditions were obtained in a Britton–Robinson (BR) buffer at pH 4.0 for MNBA and at pH 6.0 for MES and AMBA, with the scan rate 0.08 V/s. The potential V for (1) nitro and carbonyl groups of MES, (2) nitro group of MNBA and (3) amino group of AMBA, obtained under optimised conditions, was plotted as a function of a peak current (I). The I(V) dependencies were measured for the following concentration ranges: 0.5–5.0 µM for the nitro group of MES and MNBA, 0.75–5.0 µM and 0.50–8.5 µM for the carbonyl groups of MES, and 0.25–8.5 µM for amino group of AMBA; whereas, the limit of detection was in range 0.07–0.23 µM (20–80 µg/L). The proposed method is the first one that allows the determination of both MES and its degradation products. The practical applicability of these newly developed voltammetric methods was verified by direct determination of MES and its degradation products in model samples of drinking and surface water.     

Preparation and Electrochemical Behaviour of Silver Pentacyanonitrosylferrate Film Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode and Its Electrocatalytic Oxidation to L‐cysteine

A glassy carbon (GC) electrode modified with silver pentacyanonitrosylferrate (AgPCNF) film as a redox mediator was fabricated. Cyclic voltammetry was used to study the redox property of AgPCNF modified electrode. The modified electrode showed a well‐defined redox couple due to [Ag^IFe^III/II(CN)₅NO]^1‐/2‐system. The effects of scan rates, supporting electrolytes and solution pHs were studied on the electrochemical behavior of the modified electrode. The feasibility of using the AgPCNF modified electrode to measure L ‐cysteine was investigated. It showed an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of L ‐cysteine and the anodic currents were proportional to the L ‐cysteine concentration in the range of 0.1 μM to 20 μM, the linear regression equation is I_pa(μA) = ‐68.58 ‐ 5.78C_{L ‐cysteine} (μM), with a correlation coefficient 0.998 for N = 23. The detection limit was down to 3.5 × 10^‐8 M (three times the ratio of signal to noise).     

Electrochemical Behaviour and Rapid Determination of L‐Dopa at Electrochemically Pretreated Screen Printed Carbon Electrode

A simple and rapid voltammetric method based on a disposable electrochemically pretreated screen‐printed carbon electrode is proposed for the determination of L ‐dopa. Under optimum differential pulse voltammetry conditions a limit of detection of 3.6×10^?7 M for L ‐dopa was obtained. The method was successfully applied to the determination of L ‐dopa in a commercial pharmaceutical formulation.     

Ultrasensitive and Simple Method for Determination of N‐Acetyl‐L‐Cysteine in Drug Formulations Using a Diamond Sensor

A boron‐doped diamond (BDD) electrode coupled to flow injection analysis (FIA) was firstly developed for determination of N‐acetyl‐L ‐cysteine (NAC) in drug formulations. The effects of experimental parameters including pH, applied potential and scan rate on the response were investigated. FIA amperometry was applied as an automatic method for the quantitative detection of trace amounts of NAC. A wide linear range of 0.5–50 µmol/L and a low detection limit of 10 nmol/L were obtained. The results of amperometric determinations show a very good reproducibility, and the RSD for the measurement based on 10 measurements was <3.7 % and <4.1 % for intra‐ and inter‐day, respectively. The benefits of the proposed method are fast, simple, sensitive and no requirement of complicated operational steps.     

Quantification of D‐Asp and D‐Glu in rat brain and human cerebrospinal fluid by microchip electrophoresis

A microchip electrophoresis (MCE) method with LIF detection was presented for quantification of D ‐aspartic acid (D ‐Asp) and D ‐glutamate (D ‐Glu) in biological samples. D ‐Asp and D ‐Glu were determined after precolumn derivatization with FITC. The chiral separation was performed on a glass/PDMS hybrid microfluidic chip using γ‐CD as chiral selector in the running buffer. High sensitive detection was obtained by the LIF detection. The LODs (S/N = 3) for D ‐Asp and D ‐Glu were 6.0×10^–8 and 4.0×10^–8 M, respectively. Using this method, the levels of D ‐Asp and D ‐Glu in rat brain and human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were determined.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Chromium Hexacyanoferrate/Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Composite and Its Biosensing for L‐Cysteine

This work describes the electrochemical properties of glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) modified with chromium(III) hexacyanoferrate(II) (Crhf) nanoparticles attached multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNTs). The morphological characterization of Crhf/MWNTs nanocomposites was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV‐vis spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT‐IR). The electrocatalytic activity of these nanocomposites was investigated and showed a good electrocatalytic effect for oxidation of L ‐cysteine (L ‐Cys) in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (pH 3.0). Under optimum conditions linear calibration graphs were obtained over the L ‐Cys concentration range 5.0×10^?7 to 6.0×10^?5 M with a correlation coefficient of 0.9998 and a detection limit (signal‐to‐noise ratio was 3) of 1.0×10^?8 M. The proposed method is simple and it also showed excellent sensitivity and stability. The excellent electrocatalytic ability of the modified electrode towards L ‐Cys manifests that the Crhf/MWNTs can provide a new platform for biosensors and other biology.     

Synthesis of a Palladium-Graphene Material and Its Application for Formaldehyde Determination

A novel electrochemical sensor for formaldehyde determination was fabricated by using the Pd-graphene nanohybrides. Pd-graphene nanohybrids were prepared via a concise chemical reduction method. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used for the characterization of structure and morphology of the nanohybrids. The result showed that Pd nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed and were well-separated on the graphene sheets. The Pd-graphene nanohybrids were dissolved in Nafion and modified on the glassy carbon electrode to fabricate the electrochemical sensor. This proposed electrochemical sensor performed excellent electrocatalytic activity toward formaldehyde oxidation in alkaline medium. The peak current was linearly related to the formaldehyde concentration in the range of 7.75 µM to 62.0 µM with the detection limit of 3.15 µM. The highly sensitive and robust graphene based Pd nanohybrids sensor offers a promising and practical tool for formaldehyde sensing and chemical analysis.     

Development of a Carbon Paste Electrode Modified with Reduced Graphene Oxide and an Imidazole Derivative for Simultaneous Determination of Biological Species of N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine,Uric Acid and Dopamine

In this work, the modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) with an imidazole derivative 2‐(2,3 dihydroxy phenyl) 4‐methyl benzimidazole (DHPMB) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was used as an electrochemical sensor for electrocatalytic oxidation of N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (NAC). The electrocatalytic oxidation of N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine on the modified electrode surface was then investigated, indicating a reduction in oxidative over voltage and an intensive increase in the current of analyte. The scan rate potential, the percentages of DHPMB and RGO, and the pH solution were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, some parameters such as the electron transfer coefficient (α) between electrode and modifier, and the electron transfer rate constant) k_s) in a 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (pH=7.0) were obtained by cyclic voltammetry method. The diffusion coefficient of species (D) 3.96×10^?5 cm² s^?1 was calculated by chronoamperometeric technique and the Tafel plot was used to calculate α (0.46) for N‐ acetyl‐L‐cysteine. Also, by using differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) technique, two linear dynamic ranges of 2–18 µM and 18–1000 µM with the detection limit of 61.0 nM for N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (NAC) were achieved. In the co‐existence system of N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (NAC), uric acid (UA) and dopamine (DA), the linear response ranges for NAC, UA, and DA are 6.0–400.0 µM, 5.0–50.0 µM and 2.0–20.0 µM, respectively and the detection limits based on (C=3s_b/m) are 0.067 µM, 0.246 µM and 0.136 µM, respectively. The obtained results indicated that DHPMB/RGO/CPE is applicable to separate NAC, uric acid (UA) and dopamine (DA) oxidative peaks, simultaneously. For analytic performance, the mentioned modified electrode was used for determination of NAC in the drug samples with acceptable results, and the simultaneous determination of NAC, UA and DA oxidative peaks was investigated in the serum solutions, too.     

Improved Voltammetric Response of L‐Tyrosine on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes‐Ionic Liquid Composite Coated Glassy Electrodes in the Presence of Cupric Ion

L ‐Tyrosine can exhibit a small anodic peak on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) coated glassy carbon electrodes (GCE). At pH 5.5 its peak potential is 0.70 V (vs. SCE). When an ionic liquid (i.e., 1‐octyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [omim][PF₆]) is introduced on the MWCNT coat, the peak becomes bigger. Furthermore, in the presence of Cu²⁺ ion the anodic peak of L ‐tyrosine increases further due to the formation of Cu²⁺‐L ‐tyrosine complex, while the peak potential keeps unchanged. Therefore, a sensitive voltammetry based on the oxidation of Cu²⁺‐L ‐tyrosine complex on MWCNTs‐[omim][PF₆] composite coated electrode is developed for L ‐tyrosine. Under the optimized conditions, the anodic peak current is linear to L ‐tyrosine concentration in the range of 1×10^?8–5×10^?6 M, and the detection limit is 8×10^?9 M. The modified electrode shows good reproducibility and stability. In addition, the voltammetric behavior of other amino acids is explored. It is found that among them tryptophan (Trp) and histidine (His) can also produce sensitive anodic peak under same experimental conditions, and their detection limits are 4×10^?9 M and 4×10^?6 M, respectively.     

A reliable method of liquid chromatography for the quantification of acetaminophen and identification of its toxic metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoneimine for application in pediatric studies

The aim of the present study was to develop a simple, selective and reliable method to quantify acetaminophen and its toxic metabolite N‐acetyl‐p‐benzoquinoneimine (NAPQI) for pediatric studies using 100 µL plasma samples, by reverse‐phase HPLC and UV detection. The assay was performed using a C₁₈ column and an isocratic elution with water–methanol–formic acid (70:30:0.15; v/v/v) as mobile phase. Linearity of the method was assayed in the range of 1–30 µg/mL for acetaminophen and 10–200 µg/mL for NAPQI, with a correlation coefficient r = 0.999 for both compounds, and inter‐ and intra‐day coefficients of variation of less than 13%. Several commonly co‐administered drugs were analyzed for selectivity and no interference with the determinations was observed. The detection and quantification limits for acetaminophen and NAPQI were 0.1 and 1 µg/mL, and 0.1 and 10 µg/mL respectively. The present method can be used to monitor acetaminophen levels using 100 µL plasma samples, which may be helpful when very small samples need to be analyzed, as in pharmacokinetics determination or drug monitoring in plasma in children. This assay is also able to detect the NAPQI for drug monitoring in patients diagnosed with acetaminophen intoxication. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.