Preparation of an Electrode Modified with an Electropolymerized Film as a Mediator of NADH Oxidation and Its Application in an Ethanol/O2 Biofuel Cell

This paper reports a novel mediator for the oxidation of β‐nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺/NADH), an electropolymeric film (pAPRu) of [Ru(NH₂‐phen)₃]²⁺. A pAPRu‐modified electrode was prepared via electropolymerization and exhibited catalytic activity toward the electrochemical oxidation of NADH due to the imine moieties of pAPRu. The electrochemical oxidation of ethanol was observed using an alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)‐immobilized electrode. A compartmentless ethanol/O₂ biofuel cell composed of an ADH anode and a bilirubin oxidase cathode was constructed. The maximum current density and the maximum power density of the biofuel cell were 190 µA cm^?2 and 31 µW cm^?2 (at 0.29 V), respectively.     

Nanostructured Cobalt(II) Tetracarboxyphthalocyanine Complex Supported Within the MWCNT Frameworks: Electron Transport and Charge Storage Capabilities

The electrochemical redox properties of a surface‐confined thin solid film of nanostructured cobalt(II) tetracarboxyphthalocyanine integrated with multiwalled carbon nanotube (nanoCoTCPc/MWCNT) have been investigated. This novel nanoCoTCPc/MWCNT material was characterized using SEM, TEM, zeta analysis and electrochemical methods. The nanoCoTCPc/MWCNT nanohybrid material exhibited an extra‐ordinarily high conductivity (15 mS cm^?1), which is more than an order of magnitude greater than that of the MWCNT‐SO₃H (527 µS cm^?1) and three orders of a magnitude greater than the nanoCoTCPc (4.33 µS cm^?1). The heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant decreases as follows: nanoCoTCPc/MWCNT (k_app≈19.73×10^?3 cm s^?1)>MWCNT‐SO₃H (k_app≈11.63×10^?3 cm s^?1)>nanoCoTCPc (k_app≈1.09×10^?3 cm s^?1). The energy‐storage capability was typical of pseudocapacitive behaviour; at a current density of 10 µA cm^?2, the pseudocapacitance decreases as nanoCoTCPc/MWCNT (3.71×10^?4 F cm^?2)>nanoCoTCPc (2.57×10^?4 F cm^?2)>MWCNT‐SO₃H (2.28×10^?4 F cm^?2). The new nanoCoTCPc/MWCNT nanohybrid material promises to serve as a potential material for the fabrication of thin film electrocatalysts or energy‐storage devices.     

Thermodynamics and kinetics of NAD+ adsorption on a glassy carbon electrode

Thermodynamics and kinetics of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) adsorption on a glassy carbon (GC) electrode surface was investigated at various electrode potentials and NAD⁺ concentrations using differential capacitance (DC) and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) techniques. Equilibrium adsorption measurements confirmed that NAD⁺ spontaneously and strongly adsorbs on the GC electrode surface. The affinity of NAD⁺ towards adsorption on the GC electrode surface was found to increase with an increase in electrode potential (charge) to more positive values; the corresponding apparent Gibbs free energy of adsorption was ?32.80?±?0.25, ?35.61?±?0.86, and ?38.02?±?0.40 kJ mol^?1 on negatively, neutral, and positively charged electrode surfaces, respectively. The kinetics of NAD⁺ adsorption is also found to be highly dependent on the electrode surface potential (charge), and it increases with an increase in electrode potential (charge) to positive values. The adsorption process was modeled using a two-step kinetic model, in which the adsorption process involves the formation of two forms of NAD⁺ on the surface: the thermodynamically unstable (NAD⁺ _ads,rev) and stable (NAD⁺ _ads,stable) forms. ATR-FTIR further confirmed that NAD⁺, indeed, adsorbed on the GC electrode surface.     

Preparation,Characterization and Electrochemical Application of Graphene‐metallic Nanocomposites

Three different Graphene‐Metallic (Graphene‐Me) nanocomposites – Graphene‐Silver (Graphene‐Ag), Graphene‐Gold (Graphene‐Au) and Graphene‐Platinum (Graphene‐Pt) nanocomposites – were prepared and characterized. The electrochemical performances of these nanocomposites were tested by incorporating them with glassy carbon paste electrode (GCPE) and used them in biofuel cells (BFC) and as amperometric xanthine biosensor transducers. Present work contains the first application of Graphene‐Au and Graphene‐Ag nanocomposite in BFCs and also first application of these Graphene‐Me nanocomposites in xanthine biosensors. Considering BFC, power and current densities were calculated as 2.03 µW cm^?2 and 167.46 µA cm^?2 for the plain BFC, 3.39 µW cm^?2 and 182.53 µA cm^?2 for Graphene‐Ag, 4.43 µW cm^?2 and 230.15 µA cm^?2 for Grapehene‐Au and 6.23 µW cm^?2 and 295.23 µA cm^?2 for Graphene‐Pt nanocomposite included BFCs respectively. For the amperometric xanthine biosensor linear ranges were obtained in the concentration range between 5 µM and 50 µM with the RSD (n=3 for 30 µM xanthine) value of 4.28 % for plain xanthine biosensor, 3 µM and 50 µM with the RSD (n=3 for 30 µM xanthine) value of 9.37 % for Graphene‐Ag, 5 µM to 20 µM with the RSD (n=3 for 5 µM xanthine) value of 9.00 % and 30 µM to 70 µM with the RSD (n=3 for 30 µM xanthine) value of 8.80 % for Grapehene‐Au and 1 µM and 70 with the the RSD (n=3 for 30 µM xanthine) value of 2.59 % for Grapehene‐Pt based xanthine biosensors respectively.     

Direct Voltammetry of Copper,Zinc‐Superoxide Dismutase Immobilized onto Electrodeposited Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles: Fabrication of Amperometric Superoxide Biosensor

Direct electron transfer of immobilized copper, zinc‐superoxide dismutase (SOD) onto electrodeposited nickel‐oxide (NiOx) nanoparticle modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode displays a well defined redox process with formal potential of ?0.03 V in pH 7.4. Cyclic voltammetry was used for deposition of (NiOx) nanoparticles and immobilization of SOD onto GC electrode. The surface coverage (Γ) and heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k_s) of immobilized SOD are 1.75×10^?11 mol cm^?2 and 7.5±0.5 s^?1, respectively. The biosensor shows a fast amperometric response (3 s) toward superoxide at a wide concentration range from 10 µM to 0.25 mM with sensitivity of 13.40 nA µM^?1 cm^?2 and 12.40 nA µM^?1 cm^?2, detection limit of 2.66 and 3.1 µM based on anodically and cathodically detection. This biosensor exhibits excellent stability, reproducibility and long life time.     

Amperometric Ethanol Biosensors Based on Chitosan‐NAD+‐Alcohol Dehydrogenase Films

The reagentless and oxygen‐independent biosensors for ethanol were developed based on the covalent immobilization of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and its cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) on chitosan (CHIT) chains. The CHIT‐NAD⁺‐ADH structures were adsorbed onto carbon nanotubes (CNT) in order to provide a signal transduction based on the recycling of redox states of NAD cofactor at CNT (detection limit, 8–30 µM ethanol; dynamic range up to 20 mM). The CHIT‐NAD⁺‐dehydrogenase/CNT hybrid material represents a general approach to the development of dehydrogenases‐based electrochemical biosensors. Interestingly, the CHIT‐NAD⁺ solutions preserved their enzymatic activity even after five years of storage at 4 °C.     

Focused ion beam implantation of Ga in Si and Ge: fluence‐dependent retention and surface morphology

Focused ion beam implantation of 30‐keV Ga⁺ ions in single‐crystalline Si and Ge was investigated by SIMS, using Cs⁺ primary ions for sputtering. Nine different implantation fluences ranging from 1 × 10¹³ to 1 × 10¹⁷ Ga⁺‐ions/cm² were used, with implanted areas of 40 × 40 µm². The Ga concentration distributions of these implants were determined by SIMS depth profiling. Such 30‐keV Ga implantations were also simulated by a dynamic Monte‐Carlo code that takes into account the gradual change of the near‐surface composition due to the Ga incorporation. In both approaches, an essentially linear increase of the Ga peak concentrations with fluence is found up to ～1 × 10¹⁶cm^?2; for higher fluences, the Ga content approaches a saturation level which is reached at about (1–2) × 10¹⁷cm^?2. The measured and simulated peak concentrations of the Ga distributions are in good agreement. The most probable ranges obtained from the experiments correspond closely with the respective values from the simulations. The surface morphology caused by Ga⁺ implantation was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The AFM data indicate that for low fluences (<3 × 10¹⁵cm^?2) the surface within the implanted areas is growing outward (i.e. is swelling). For increasingly higher fluences, sputter‐induced erosion of the surface becomes dominant and distinct craters are formed for fluences above ～1 × 10¹⁶cm^?2. At the boundary of the implanted region a wall‐like structure is found to form upon Ga implantation; its height is growing with increasing fluence, reaching a value of ～15 nm at 1 × 10¹⁷ Ga⁺‐ions/cm². Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Gas‐phase ozonolysis: Rate coefficients for a series of terpenes and rate coefficients and OH yields for 2‐methyl‐2‐butene and 2,3‐dimethyl‐2‐butene

The kinetics of the gas‐phase reactions of O₃ with a series of selected terpenes has been investigated under flow‐tube conditions at a pressure of 100 mbar synthetic air at 295 ± 0.5 K. In the presence of a large excess of m‐xylene as an OH radical scavenger, rate coefficients k(O₃+terpene) were obtained with a relative rate technique, (unit: cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1, errors represent 2σ): α‐pinene: (1.1 ± 0.2) × 10^?16, ³Δ‐carene: (5.9 ± 1.0) × 10^?17, limonene: (2.5 ± 0.3) × 10^?16, myrcene: (4.8 ± 0.6) × 10^?16, trans‐ocimene: (5.5 ± 0.8) × 10^?16, terpinolene: (1.6 ± 0.4) × 10^?15 and α‐terpinene: (1.5 ± 0.4) × 10^?14. Absolute rate coefficients for the reaction of O₃ with the used reference substances (2‐methyl‐2‐butene and 2,3‐dimethyl‐2‐butene) were measured in a stopped‐flow system at a pressure of 500 mbar synthetic air at 295 ± 2 K using FT‐IR spectroscopy, (unit: cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1, errors represent 2σ ): 2‐methyl‐2‐butene: (4.1 ± 0.5) × 10^?16 and 2,3‐dimethyl‐2‐butene: (1.0 ± 0.2) × 10^?15. In addition, OH radical yields were found to be 0.47 ± 0.04 for 2‐methyl‐2‐butene and 0.77 ± 0.04 for 2,3‐dimethyl‐2‐butene. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 394–403, 2002     

Stripping Analysis of As(III) by Means of Screen‐Printed Electrodes Modified with Gold Nanoparticles and Carbon Black Nanocomposite

A novel sensor based on carbon black‐gold nanoparticle nanocomposite modified screen‐printed electrode (CB‐AuNPs/SPE) for the detection of As(III) has been developed. The sensor was prepared modifying the SPE with CB and AuNPs by a drop casting automatable deposition. The As(III) was detected by CB‐AuNPs/SPE using anodic stripping voltammetry, with a high sensitivity (673±6 µA µM^?1 cm^?2) and reaching a LOD of 0.4 ppb. Finally, CB‐AuNPs/SPE has been applied to As(III) trace analysis in drinking water, obtaining satisfactory recovery values (99±9 %).     

A Novel Electroactive Polymer for pH‐independent Oxygen Sensing

Methylene blue (MB⁺) and pyrrole were copolymerised to electrodeposit a novel electroactive polymer on a Au electrode which was assessed for O₂ sensing. The electroactive polymer exhibits diffusion‐limited behaviour and an electrochemical, followed by catalytic (EC′) mechanism in the presence of dissolved O₂. Notably, it is pH‐insensitive in both N₂‐purged and air‐equilibrated phosphate buffered saline (PBS) from pH 4 to 8. It is stable over 18 days, possesses a good sensitivity of 256.335 µA mM^?1 cm^?2, wide linear range of 15 µM to 285 µM and detection limit of 1.47 µM (S/N=3) for dissolved O₂. It is highly promising for use in biological investigations where pH fluctuations are expected.     

Electropolymerized Diphenylamine on Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Composite Film and Its Application to Develop a Multifunctional Biosensor

Diphenylamine (DPA) monomers have been electropolymerized on the amino‐functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube (AFCNT) composite film modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The surface morphology of PDPA‐AFCNT was studied using field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM). The interfacial electron transfer phenomenon at the modified electrode was studied using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The PDPA‐AFCNT/GCE represented a multifunctional sensor and showed good electrocatalytic behavior towards the oxidation of catechol and the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. Rotating‐disk electrode technique was applied to detect catechol with a sensitivity of 1360 µA mM^?1 cm^?2 and a detection limit of 0.01 mM. Amperometric determination of hydrogen peroxide at the PDPA‐AFCNT film modified electrode results in a linear range from 10 to 800 µM, a sensitivity of 487.1 µA mM^?1 cm^?2 and detection limit of 1 µM. These results show that the nano‐composite film modified electrode can be utilized to develop a multifunctional sensor.     

Electrochemical nanostructured biosensors: carbon nanotubes versus conductive and semi-conductive nanoparticles

The aim of this work was to demonstrate that various types of nanostructures provide different gains in terms of sensitivity or detection limit albeit providing the same gain in terms of increased area. Commercial screen printed electrodes (SPEs) were functionalized with 100 µg of bismuth oxide nanoparticles (Bi₂O₃ NPs), 13.5 µg of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), and 4.8 µg of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to sense hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The amount of nanomaterials to deposit was calculated using specific surface area (SSA) in order to equalize the additional electroactive surface area. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) experiments revealed oxidation peaks of Bi₂O₃ NPs, Au NPs, and MWCNTs based electrodes at (790 ± 1) mV, (386 ± 1) mV, and (589 ± 1) mV, respectively, and sensitivities evaluated by chronoamperometry (CA) were (74 ± 12) µA mM^?1 cm^?2, (129 ± 15) ±A mM^?1 cm^?2, and (54 ± 2) ±A mM^?1 cm^?2, respectively. Electrodes functionalized with Au NPs showed better sensing performance and lower redox potential (oxidative peak position) compared with the other two types of nanostructured SPEs. Interestingly, the average size of the tested Au NPs was 4 nm, under the limit of 10 nm where the quantum effects are dominant. The limit of detection (LOD) was (11.1 ± 2.8) ±M, (8.0 ± 2.4) ±M, and (3.4 ± 0.1) ±M for Bi₂O₃ NPs, Au NPs, and for MWCNTs based electrodes, respectively.     

Mobility of mass-identified ions in neon and reaction rate coefficient for Ne+ + 2Ne → Ne+2 + Ne

The mobilities of mass-identified Ne⁺ and Ne⁺₂ ions in neon have been measured by the “four-gauze” electrical shutter method at 300°K. The reduced zero-field mobilities of Ne⁺ and Ne⁺₂ ions, corrected to 273°K, are 4.13± 0.04 and 6.20± 0.07 cm²V^?1sec^?1 respectively. The reaction rate coefficient for the termolecular ion-neutral association reaction is (4.6 ± 0.35) × 10^?32 cm⁶ sec^?1 and in the range from 2 to 10 V cm^?1 torr^?1 it does not depend on the electric field strength.     

Temperature‐dependent kinetics for the ozonolysis of selected chlorinated alkenes in the gas phase

The ozonolysis of olefinic species is an important tropospheric process impacting on climate and human health. However, few studies have investigated these reactions as a function of temperature and even less information is available upon the effects of alkene heteroatomic substitution on the Arrhenius parameters. The electron‐withdrawing capacity of substituents about the olefinic bond strongly influences the rate of alkene ozonolysis. To understand better the effect of these substitutions, the temperature‐dependence of a series of ozone–chloroalkene reactions is investigated. Experiments were conducted in the EXTreme RAnge (EXTRA) chamber, over the range of 292–409 K and 760 Torr. The experimentally determined rate coefficients were fitted using an Arrhenius‐type analysis to yield the following activation energies: 30.80 ± 0.79, 23.18 ± 0.59, 65.2 ± 2.8, 116.9 ± 5.6, 29.5 ± 1.8, and 18.67 ± 0.96 kJ mol^?1 and preexponential A‐factors 1.22^+0.39_?0.29×10^?15, 9.3^+6.7_?5.4×10^?16, 1.6^+2.5_?1.0×10^?10, 6⁺²²_?3.9×10^?4, 1.7^+1.6_?0.8×10^?14, and 4.2^+1.9_?1.3×10^?15 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 for cis‐1,2‐dichloroethene, trans‐1,2‐dichloroethene, trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, 2‐chloropropene, and 3‐chloro‐1‐butene, respectively. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 43: 120–129, 2011     

b1Σ+ and a1Δ emissions from group VI-VI diatomic molecules: b0+ → X10+, x21 emissions of TeO and TeS

Near infrared emissions of the b0⁺→X₁0⁺, X₂1 band systems of TeO and TeS have been observed by chemiluminescence studies in a fast flow system. In both cases the b → X₁ and b → X₂ subtransitions were found to occur with similar intensities. Analysis of the spectra yielded values of the b0⁺ energies T_e of 9966 ^± 10 cm^?1 and 8457 ^± 10 cm^?1 for TeO and TeS, respectively, and vibrational separations ω_e in these states of 726 ^± 10 cm^?1 and 436 ^± 5 cm^?1. The energy splittings of the X₁0⁺ and X₂1 ground state levels were determined to be 789 ^± 10 cm^?1 and 829 ^± 5 cm^?1.     

Picomolar Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide at Glassy Carbon Electrode Modified with NAD+ and Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Potential cycling was used for oxidation of NAD⁺ and producing an electroactive redox couple which strongly adsorbed on the electrode surface modified with single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Modified electrode shows a pair of well defined and nearly reversible redox peaks at pH range 1–13 and the response showed a surface‐controlled electrode process. The surface coverage and heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k_s) of adsorbed redox couple onto CNTs films were about 6.32×10^?10 mol cm^?2 and 2.0 (±0.20) s^?1, respectively, indicating the high loading ability of CNTs toward the oxidation product of NAD⁺ (2,8‐dihydroxy adenine dinucleotide) and great facilitation of the electron transfer between redox couple and CNTs immobilized onto electrode surface. The modified electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity for H₂O₂ reduction at reduced overpotential. The catalytic rate constant for H₂O₂ reduction was found to be 2.22(±0.20)×10⁴ M^?1 s^?1. The catalytic reduction current allows the amperometric detection of H₂O₂ at an applied potential of ?0.25 V vs. Ag/AgCl with a detection limit of 10 pM and linear response up to 100 nM and resulting analytical sensitivity 747.6 nA/pM. The remarkably low detection limit (10 pM) is the lowest value ever reported for direct H₂O₂ determination on the electrodes at pH 7. The modified electrode can be used for monitoring H₂O₂ without the need for an enzyme or enzyme mimic. The proposed method for rapid amperometric detection of H₂O₂ is low cost and high throughput. Furthermore, the sensor can be used to any detection scheme that uses enzymatically generated H₂O₂ as a reactive product in biological systems.     

b 1Σ+ and a 1Δ emissions from group VI—VI diatomic molecules: b0+ → X10+, X21 emissions of TeSe

Near-infrared emissions of the b0⁺ → X₁0⁺, X₂1 band systems of TeSe have been observed in a discharge flow system. Analysis of the spectra yielded T_e values of the X₂1 and b0⁺ states of 1235 ± 5 cm^?1 and 8794 ± 5 cm^?1, respectively, and a vibrational spacing in the b0⁺ state of ω_e(b) = 294 ± 3 cm^?1.     

Autoionizing rydberg states of. The Li2 molecule: Molecular constants for Li2+

Autoionizing Rydberg series of Li₂ have been observed in the two-step optical cxcitation of a supersonic lithium beam. The series limits are vibrational states of Li₂⁺. In the most probable assignment IP(Li₂) = 41236.4 ± 2.5 cm^?1 and for Li₂⁺ω_e = 263.45 ± 1.3 cm^?1; ω_eχ_e = 1.35 ± O.2 cm^?1; r_e = 3.032 ± 0.01 Å; D_e = 10807 ± 150 cm^?1.     

Spectrophotometric Determination of Nitrite in Water Samples with 4‐(1‐Methyl‐1‐Mesitylcyclobutane‐3‐yl)‐2‐Aminothiazole

Abstract

A simple, sensitive, and specific spectrophotometric method for the measurement of nitrite in water has been developed and optimum reaction conditions along with other analytical parameters have been evaluated. The azo dye, 4‐(1‐methyl‐1‐mesitylcylobutane‐3‐yl)‐2‐(p‐N,N‐dimethylazobenzene)‐1,3‐thiazole was synthesized with the reaction of 4‐(1‐methyl‐1‐mesitylcylobutane‐3‐yl)‐2‐aminothiazole and N,N‐dimethyl aniline in acidic medium. Obtained azo dye has been characterized by infrared (IR), ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and microanalysis methods. The dye shows an absorption maximum at 482 nm. The method is optimized for acid concentration, pH, amount of reagents required, time, and interfering species. All the determinations were carried out at this wavelength throughout the work. At an analytical wavelength of 482 nm, Beer's law is obeyed over the concentration range 0.05 to 2.00 µg nitrite per mL analyte. The molar absorptivity, Sandell's sensitivity, and relative standard deviation are 2.03×10⁴ L mol^?1 cm^?1±251.3 (95%), 2.28×10^?3 µg cm^?2, and 2.74% (n=10), respectively. The detection limit of the method is 0.012 µg ml^?1 of nitrite ion. The method was succesfully applied to the determination of nitrite in tap water and lake water.     

Absorption and emission spectra of Ca2 in solid krypton

The calcium van der Waals molecule, Ca₂, has been formed by codepositing calcium and krypton atoms on a substrate at 12 K. Absorption spectra revealed a structured band at 666 nm with 117 ± 2 cm^? spacings. Calcium-44 isotopic spectra confirmed the assignment and located the band origin at 14 432 ± 4 cm^?1. Emission spectra, pumping the 11 ← 0 absorption, exhibited a very strong 14 000 cm^?1 band with 78 ± 2 cm^?1 spacings to the band origin and unrelaxed emission with 78 ± 2 and 117 ± 2 cm^?1 spacings above the band origin from v′ levels up to 6. The transition ¹∑⁺_u(¹S + ¹P) ← ¹∑⁺_g (¹S + ¹S) and the bonding in ground and excited Ca₂ states fit a simple molecular orbital model.