Sensitive and Selective Voltammetric Determination of Ciprofloxacin Using Screen-printed Electrodes Modified with Carbon Black and Magnetic-molecularly Imprinted Polymer

This work reports the construction of screen-printed electrode (SPE) modified with carbon black (CB) and magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles coated with molecularly imprinted polymer (mag@MIP) based on an alternative low-cost approach. The proposed device was used for the sensitive and selective voltammetric determination of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. The results obtained from cyclic voltammetry pointed to the improvement of the SPE response toward the irreversible oxidation of ciprofloxacin after the modification of the electrode surface with CB-based film and the magnetic preconcentration of mag@MIP containing adsorbed ciprofloxacin molecules. Compared to the non-molecularly imprinted sensor (mag@NIP), the presence of cavities selective for ciprofloxacin recognition in the mag@MIP nanoparticles accounted for the improvement in analytical signal of the molecularly imprinted sensor. The application of differential pulse voltammetry for ciprofloxacin determination yielded a linear response in the concentration range of 0.5 to 7.0 μmol L⁻¹. The repeatability and interference tests results showed that the proposed electrochemical sensor has good measurement accuracy and selectivity. The proposed device was applied for the voltammetric determination of ciprofloxacin in river water and synthetic urine samples, where recovery rates close to 100 % were recorded for all the samples. The quantification data obtained from the application of the proposed voltammetric method were quite consistent with those of the HPLC reference method.     

Palladium Paste Nanocomposite Electrode as a New Metallic Electrocatalyst for Ethanol Oxidation and Nonenzymatic Amperometric Sensor in Alkaline Medium

Palladium paste nanocomposite electrode was employed as an efficient electrocatalyst for ethanol oxidation and nonenzymatic amperometric ethanol sensor, in alkaline media. The combined application of unique properties of nanomaterials and ionic liquids results in electrodes with interesting advantages compared to the conventional Pd disk electrodes. High tolerance towards accumulation of carbonaceous species (CO‐like intermediates) and poisoning by strongly adsorbed species suggests this electrode suitable for many applications. The sensor has the advantages of high sensitivity, low detection limit (20.0 µM), wide linear range (30.0 µM–1.6 M), ease of renewing the electrode surface, good long‐term stability and reproducibility for ethanol determination.     

Pulse Voltammetric Biosensing System for the Rapid Determination of Glucose With Micro-Enzyme Sensor

Abstract

An electrochemically prepared micro-enzyme electrode whose diameter is 50 jim is combined with an Pt auxiliary electrode and a reference electrode to assemble a three electrode device for the rapid determination of glucose. Since the device is very small, glucose sample whose volume is only 2 μ1 can be successfully determined. Pulse voltammetry is shown to be an effective approach for making the sensing device work without any attachments such as magnetic stirrer and pump. The transient sensor output, oxidizing current for the hydrogen peroxide generated by the immobilized glucose oxidase, shows a good linearity in the glucose concentration range from 1 mM to 20 mM.     

Application of an Hg selective imprinted polymer as a new modifying agent for the preparation of a novel highly selective and sensitive electrochemical sensor for the determination of ultratrace mercury ions

A simple and very selective electrode, based on a mercury ion imprinted polymer (IIP), and its application for the determination of Hg²⁺ ions in the real samples is introduced. Mercury ion selective cavities were created in the vinyl pyridine based cross-linked polymer. In order to fabricate the sensor carbon particles and polymer powder were mixed with melted n-eicosane. An explicit difference was observed between the responses of the electrodes modified with IIP and non imprinted polymer (NIP), indicating proper performance of the recognition sites of the IIP. Various factors, known to affect the response behavior of selective electrode, were investigated and optimized. The interference of different ionic species with the response of the electrode was also studied. The results revealed that, compared to previously developed mercury selective sensors, the proposed sensor was more selective, regarding the common potential interferer. This sensor showed a linear response range of 2.5 × 10⁻⁹–5.0 × 10⁻⁷ M and lower detection limit of 5.2 × 10⁻¹⁰ M (S/N). The sensor was successfully applied to the determination of mercury in real samples.     

A self-polishing platinum ring voltammetric sensor and its application to complex media

A self-polishing voltammetric sensor was recently developed and has been applied to samples of urea, milk and sewage water. The polishing device continuously grinds a platinum ring electrode, offering a reproducible and clean electrode surface. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) techniques were applied to interpret the data and to build prediction models. In an evaluation of samples with different urea concentrations, the grinding step allows for repeatable measurements, similar to those after electrochemical cleaning. Furthermore, for the determination of sewage water concentrations in drinking water and for the evaluation of different fat contents in milk samples, the polishing eliminates sensor drift produced by electrode fouling. The results show that the application of a self-polishing unit offers a promising tool for electrochemical studies of difficult analytes and complex media.     

Disposable paper-based electrochemical sensor based on stacked gold nanoparticles supported carbon nanotubes for the determination of bisphenol A

This work reports a new type of disposable electrochemical sensor for the determination of bisphenol A (BPA). The working electrodes were fabricated by sputtering gold nanoparticles on commercial art paper and then modifying the gold layer with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The electrode in their intermediated and final stage was characterized by atomic force microscope, scanning electron microscope and electrochemical techniques. To perform electrochemical analysis, the resulting electrode was integrated with a homemade paper-based analytical device, which could also ensure the immobilization of MWCNTs on the electrode surface without any functionalization. The determination of BPA was investigated by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). A wide linearity in the range from 0.2 to 20 mg/L with a detection limit of 0.03 mg/L (S/N = 3) was obtained. The between-sensor reproducibility was 5.7% (n = 8) for 0.5 mg/L BPA. The proposed sensor showed good resistance against interferences and was applied to detect BPA leached from real plastic samples with satisfying results. This disposable sensor is readily mass-produced and has been verified to serve as an attractive alternative to screen-printed electrodes for practical applications.     

Trace Level Determination of Hydrogen Peroxide at a Carbon Ceramic Electrode Modified with Copper Oxide Nanostructures

An electrochemical sensor was developed for determination of hydrogen peroxide based on nanocopper oxides modified carbon sol‐gel or carbon ceramic electrode (CCE). The modified electrode was prepared by electrodeposition of metallic copper on the CCE surface and derivatized in situ to copper oxides nanostructures and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The modified electrode responded linearly to the hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) concentration over the range 0.78–193.98 µmol L^?1 with a detection limit of 71 nmol L^?1 (S/N=3) and the sensitivity of 0.697 A mol^?1 L cm^?2. This electrode was used as selective amperometric sensor for determination of H₂O₂ contents in hair coloring creams.     

High Sensitive Voltammetric Gentamicin Sensor using Poly (3-thiophenecarboxylic acid-co-3-methylthiophene) Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

For the determination of gentamicin in biomedical applications, sensitive, fast and low cost voltammetric sensor has been developed. Prepared sensor was successfully used for determination of gentamicine in synthetic urine samples with different voltammetric measurement methods. Firstly, glassy carbon electrode was modified using cyclic voltammetry technique by electropolymerization of 3-thiophenecarboxylic acid and 3-methylthiophene. Then, optimization of the electrochemical parameters was carried out for modified electrode. With this modified electrode, gentamicin determination was performed in the linear range of 0.05–4.00 mM. The correlation coefficient, limit of detection and limit of quantitation were calculated as 0.9999, 0.039 mM and 0.129 mM, respectively.     

A nonenzymatic sensor for xanthine based on electrospun carbon nanofibers modified electrode

Xanthine (Xa) determination is of considerable importance in clinical analysis and food quality control. Therefore, a sensitive nonenzymatic amperometric sensor for Xa based on carbon nanofibers (CNFs) has been proposed. The CNFs, which were prepared by electrospinning technique and subsequent thermal treatment, were used to modify carbon paste electrode (CNF-CPE) to construct the amperometric sensor device without any oxidation pretreatment. In application to Xa electrochemical determination, the CNF-CPE exhibited high electrocatalytic activity and fast amperometric response. Various experimental parameters, such as pH and applied potential were optimized. Under the optimal conditions, the dynamic linear range of Xa was 0.03-21.19 μM (R = 0.9992) with the detection limit low to 20 nM (S/N = 3). With good selectivity and sensitivity, the present system was successfully applied to estimate the freshness of fish and determine Xa in human urine, which provides potential application in food quality control and clinical analysis.     

Electrocatalytical Oxidation of Nitrite and Its Determination Based on Au@Fe3O4 Nanoparticles

A promising electrochemical nitrite sensor was fabricated by immobilizing Au@Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on the surface of L ‐cysteine modified glassy carbon electrode, which was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The proposed sensor exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity toward nitrite oxidation. The kinetic parameters of the electrode reaction process were calculated, (1–α)n_α was 0.38 and the heterogeneous electron transfer coefficient (k) was 0.13 cm s^?1. The detection conditions such as supporting electrolyte and pH value were optimized. Under the optimized conditions, the linear range for the determination of nitrite was 3.6×10^?6 to 1.0×10^?2 M with a detection limit of 8.2×10^?7 M (S/N=3). Moreover, the as‐prepared electrode displayed good stability, repeatability and selectivity for promising practical applications.     

Determination of bacterial antigens using a multichannel immunoenzyme amperometric sensor

A procedure for the individual determination of the antigens of the conditionally pathogenic micro-organisms Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus present in combination using a multichannel immunoenzyme amperometric sensor based on a screen-printed electrode was developed. Conditions for fabricating the biosensing part and for the operation of the sensor (the matrix component, the ratio between biocomponents, and the substrate concentration) were chosen. The determination limits of bacterial antigens obtained using the analytical device were equal to 5 × 10^?9 mg/mL. It was found that bacterial antigens simultaneously present in serums from patients can be determined using the sensor developed.     

Facile Fabrication of Zirconia Modified Screen‐Printed Carbon Electrodes for Electrochemical Sensing of Phosphate

We report here a facile method to immobilize zirconia nanoparticles on a disposable screen‐printed carbon electrode (designated as ZrO₂‐SPCE) for phosphate sensor application. Simply by ultrasonicating a bare SPCE in a ZrO₂ slurry, ZrO₂ nanoparticles can be immobilized effectively on the electrode surface as verified by surface characterization evidences. Using ferricyanide as a redox probe, an increase in the charge transfer resistance (R_ct) of ferricyanide upon adsorption of phosphate on ZrO₂ is used for the determination of phosphate. This ZrO₂‐SPCE phosphate sensor shows a wide linear range up to 1 mM and a detection limit of 1.69 µM (S/N=3). Practical applicability of the ZrO₂‐SPCE is demonstrated by detecting phosphate content in human blood samples.     

Electrochemical metal-ion sensor based on a cobalt phthalocyanine complex captured in Nafion® on a glassy carbon electrode

This article describes an electrochemical metal-ion sensor based on a cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) complex and determination of its sensor activity for some transition metal ions. Ag⁺ and Hg²⁺, among several transition metal ions, coordinate to the sulfur donors of CoPc and alter the electrochemical responses of CoPc in solution, indicating possible application of the complex as Ag⁺ and Hg²⁺ sensor. For practical application, CoPc was encapsulated into a polymeric cation exchange membrane, Nafion, on a glassy carbon electrode and used as an electrochemical coordination element. This composite electrode was potentiometrically optimized and potentiometrically and amperometrically characterized as transition metal-ion sensors with respect to reproducibility, repeatability, stability, selectivity, linear concentration range, and sensitivity. A µmol?dm^?3 sensitivity of the CoPc-based sensor indicates its possible practical application for the determination of Ag⁺ and Hg⁺² in waste water samples.     

Electrochemical Determination of Dopamine Using a Carboxyl-functionalized Carbon Nanotube-Modified Carbon Paste Electrode Doped with Polymeric Ferric Sulfate

A novel electrochemical device for the sensitive determination of dopamine was developed based on a carbon paste electrode with polymeric ferric sulfate doped in the carbon paste and a carboxyl-functionalized carbon nanotube thin film on the surface. The modified electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The conditions for the preparation of electrode were optimized. The carbon nanotubes were shown to be stable on the surface of carbon paste electrode. The novel electrochemical device provided excellent activity toward dopamine. Amperometry and differential pulse voltammetry were used for the determination of dopamine in pH 7.0 phosphate buffer with a long linear range from 0.8 to 261?µM and a detection limit of 0.2?µM. The modified electrode showed excellent repeatability, good stability, and satisfactory reproducibility, thus demonstrating potential for practical applications.     

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 aflatoxin B1 by biomass derived porous carbon modified electrode with molecularly imprinted polymer

Aflatoxin determination is imperative among agricultural and food products as the pollution of the toxic aflatoxin could cause severe hazards towards animals and human beings. Here, we prepared Elaeagnus gum derived porous carbon material as electrode modified material. In situ electropolymerization of molecularly imprinted polymer utilizing phenol as monomer and aflatoxin B₁ as target template was further processed onto the porous carbon surface to achieve aflatoxin B₁ sensing ability. This sensitive MIP sensor has a detection range from 5 pM to 100 pM of aflatoxin B₁, an electrochemical sensitivity of 82.4 μA log(pM)⁻¹ cm⁻² with a detection limit of 1.7 pM, and a recovery rate of real sample measurement is 98.21 %. Good selectivity, fair repeatability and stability was confirmed. This work demonstrates the promising application of Elaeagnus gum derived porous carbon modified electrode sensor for food and drug monitoring.     

Simple and Inexpensive Electrochemical Platform Based on Novel Homemade Carbon Ink and its Analytical Application for Determination of Nitrite

In this work we present the development of a simple handmade approach for the easy fabrication of three‐electrode electrochemical devices based on newly in‐house developed carbon ink composed of graphite powder and polystyrene. Different proportions of graphite/polystyrene were investigated for the optimization of the ink. The counter and reference electrodes were produced using commercial carbon ink and silver glue. Scanning electron microscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry were used to investigate the morphology and the electrochemical properties of the sensor. The results showed that the electroactive area of the optimized working electrode was ca . 2.35 times larger than its geometric area. The RSD values obtained for repeatability and reproducibility were 0.20% and 2.78%, respectively, which suggest no significant variation on the electrodes fabricated. The analytical feasibility of the electrode was tested through its application for the determination of nitrite in drinking water. The quantifications were successfully performed at levels below the maximum contaminant level established for nitrite. A limit of detection of 1.42 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹ and recoveries of ca . 103 % were achieved. The results were validated using ion‐chromatography technique with good agreement. The performance of the unmodified sensor proposed here on nitrite determination was better than some recently reported modified electrodes obtained through complex procedures.     

Towards biochemical fuel cells

A biochemical fuel cell is a device which converts chemical energy into electrical power. The catalysts used in this process can be either inorganic or organic type giving rise to ‘inorganic fuel cells’ or ‘biochemical fuel cells’, respectively. Biochemical fuel cells use either micro-organism or enzymes as active components to carry out electrochemical reactions. The efficiency of such a device theoretically can be as high as 90%. The difficulty in attaining these values arises due to sluggishness of electron transfer from active site to conducting electrode. This can be overcome by using mediators or by immobilizing active components on conducting electrode. We have immobilizedfad-glucose oxidase on a graphite electrode using a semiconducting chain as a bridge. At the present stage of development, such a device tacks high current densities, which is essential for commercial power generation but can be used in applications such as pacemakers and glucose sensors.     

Indirect Electrochemical Determination of Ribavirin Using Boronic Acid-Diol Recognition on a 3-Aminophenylboronic Acid-Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode (APBA/ERGO/GCE)

A novel method for the indirect electrochemical determination of ribavirin based on boronic acid-diol recognition was developed using the platform as the sensing element. The device was constructed using a 3-aminophenylboronic acid (APBA)-electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO) modified electrode. When the electrode was immersed in a solution of ribavirin, complexation of boronic acid groups of APBA with ribavirin occurred at the surface of the electrode and simultaneously caused steric hindrance, resulting in a current decrease because the ferricyanide redox probe was unable access the surface. Under the optimized conditions, a linear relationship was obtained between the relative change in current (%Δi) of [Fe(CN)₆]^3?/4?and the concentration of ribavirin at levels from 10.0 to 7.50?×?10²?ng mL^?1. The proposed electrochemical sensor performed with acceptable sensitivity and reproducibility and was successfully used to determine the content of ribavirin in an injection with satisfactory results.     

Novel amperometric sensor using metolcarb-imprinted film as the recognition element on a gold electrode and its application

A molecularly imprinted film is electrochemically synthesized on a gold electrode using cyclic voltammetry to electropolymerize o-aminothiophenol in the presence of metolcarb (MTMC). The mechanism of the imprinting process and a number of factors affecting the activity of the imprinted film are discussed and optimized. Scanning electron microscope observations and binding measurements have proved that an MTMC-imprinted film (with a thickness of nearly 100 nm) was formed on the surface of the gold electrode. The film exhibited high binding affinity and selectivity towards the template MTMC, as well as good penetrability, reproducibility and stability. A novel amperometry sensor using the imprinted film as recognition element was developed for MTMC determination in food samples. Under the experimental conditions, the MTMC standard is linear within the concentration range studied (r² = 0.9906). The limit of detection (S/N = 3) of the modified electrode was achieved to 1.34 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹. Recoveries of MTMC from spiked apple juice, cabbage and cucumber samples for the developed electrochemical assay ranged from 94.80% to 102.43%, which was with great correlation coefficient (0.9929) with results from high-performance liquid chromatography. In practical application, the prepared amperometric sensor also showed good reproducibility and long lifetime for storage. The research in this study has offered a rapid, accurate and sensitive electrochemical method for quantitative determination of MTMC in food products.