A non-enzymatic sensor for hydrogen peroxide based on polyaniline, multiwalled carbon nanotubes and gold nanoparticles modified Au electrode

We describe the construction of a polyaniline (PANI), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) modified Au electrode for determination of hydrogen peroxide without using peroxidase (HRP). The AuNPs/MWCNT/PANI composite film deposited on Au electrode was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical methods. Cyclic voltammetric (CV) studies of the electrode at different stages of construction demonstrated that the modified electrode had enhanced electrochemical oxidation of H(2)O(2), which offers a number of attractive features to develop amperometric sensors based on split of H(2)O(2). The amperometric response to H(2)O(2) showed a linear relationship in the range from 3.0 μM to 600.0 μM with a detection limit of 0.3 μM (S/N = 3) and with high sensitivity of 3.3 mA μM(-1). The sensor gave accurate and satisfactory results, when employed for determination of H(2)O(2) in milk and urine.     

Application of horseradish peroxidase/polyaniline/bis(2-aminoethyl) polyethylene glycol-functionalized carbon nanotube composite as a platform for hydrogen peroxide detection with high sensitivity at low potential

Polyaniline/O,O′-bis (2-aminoethyl) polyethylene glycol-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube (PANI/PEG–MWCNT) composite-modified electrode was successfully prepared by electropolymerization. The ionic transport in PANI/PEG–MWCNT film and its effects on the composite performance are presented. Both protonic and anionic participation in the charge compensation processes were calculated and they indicated that the presence of the PEG–MWCNT in the PANI film suppress the anionic transportation and improve the composite ability in fixing horseradish peroxidase enzyme. Finally, the adsorption between the negatively charged PANI/PEG–MWCNT nanocomposite and the positively charged Horseradish peroxidase resulted in a high sensitivity (1.01 μA L cm^?2 μmol^?1) to hydrogen peroxide. This sensor exhibited a good reproducibility and stability at an applied potential of ?100 mV vs Ag/AgCl.     

Electroanalysis of some common pesticides using conducting polymer/multiwalled carbon nanotubes modified glassy carbon electrode

The cyclic voltammetric behaviour of three common pesticides such as isoproturon (ISO), voltage (VOL) and dicofol (DCF) was investigated at glassy carbon electrode (GCE), multiwalled carbon nanotubes modified GCE (MWCNTs/GCE), polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (PPY) deposited MWCNT/GCE. The modified electrode film was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The electroactive behaviour of the pesticides was realized from the cyclic voltammetric studies. The differential pulse voltammetric principle was used to analyze the above-mentioned pesticides using MWCNT/GCE, PANI/MWCNT/GCE and PPY/MWCNT/GCE. Effects of accumulation potential, accumulation time, Initial scan potential, amplitude and pulse width were examined for the optimization of stripping conditions. The PANI/MWCNT/GCE performed well among the three electrode systems and the determination range obtained was 0.01-100 mgL(-1) for ISO, VOL and DCF respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.1 microgL(-1) for ISO, 0.01 microgL(-1) for VOL and 0.05 microgL(-1) for DCF on PANI/MWCNT/GCE modified system. It is significant to note that the PANI/MWCNT/GCE modified system results in the lowest LOD in comparison with the earlier reports. Suitability of this method for the trace determination of pesticide in spiked samples was also realized.     

Fast-response piezoresistive pressure sensor based on polyaniline cotton fabric for human motion monitoring

Wearable flexible sensors with quick response time and high stability are required in the fields of human motion detection, personal health monitoring, and artificial electronic skin. However, their design remains a challenge. To address this need, we fabricate a piezoresistive sensor with a wide detection limit, fast response time, and excellent stability in this work. Nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) films are deposited on cotton fabric (CF) by in-situ polymerization of polyaniline (PANI) using magnetic filtration cathode vacuum arc deposition technology to obtain copper/polyaniline cotton (Cu/PANI/CF) and nickel/polyaniline cotton (Ni/PANI/CF). The pressure sensor is then fabricated by self-assembly. The proposed pressure sensor has a wide detection limit (0–180 kPa), rapid response time (30 ms), high cycle stability (>5000), and can detect the movement of each joint of the human body (such as the knee, finger, elbow, etc.). The sensor can also monitor different facial micro-expressions, including smiles and blinking. Based on the practical application of human motion signals and the detection of subtle stress, the proposed sensor demonstrates significant potential as a wearable electronic product for health monitoring.

Graphical abstract

     

Thin-layered MoS2/polyaniline nanocomposite for highly sensitive electrochemical detection of chloramphenicol

In this study, we synthesized molybdenum disulfide/polyaniline (MoS₂/PANI) nanocomposite via in situ polymerization of aniline in the presence of thin-layered MoS₂. The as-prepared MoS₂/PANI nanocomposite obtained an improved electrochemical performance due to the physisorption interaction between aromatic aniline and the basal plane of MoS₂. Furthermore, we constructed a new kind of electrochemical sensor based on MoS₂/PANI nanocomposite for the detection of chloramphenicol, which showed an excellent performance. The sensor has a high sensitivity and wide detection range from 1×10^-7 mol/L to 1×10^-4 mol/L, with a low detection limit of 6.9×10^-8 mol/L.     

CuS–MWCNT based electrochemical sensor for sensitive detection of bisphenol A

The rapid and simple detection of bisphenol A is very important for the safety and reproduction of organisms. Here, a sensitive and reliable electrochemical sensor was established for bisphenol A detection based on the high amplification effect of copper sulfide-multi-walled carbon nanotube (CuS–MWCNT) nanocomposites. The flower-like CuS–MWCNT were successfully synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method accompanied by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Compared with bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE), CuS–MWCNT modified GCE could amplify the electrochemical signals in about ten times, which was attributed to the synergistic effect of CuS and MWCNT. The MWCNT could increase the specific surface area of electrodes and improve the electrode activity. The integration of CuS could further enhance the electrode conductivity as well as accelerate the electron transfer rate. Raman spectra and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to characterize the successful fabrication of CuS–MWCNT nanocomposites and its uniform and monodispersed morphology. Under optimizing conditions, the oxidation currents of bisphenol A via the differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) showed a good linear relationship with its concentration in a wide range of 0.5–100 μM, with a detection limit of 50 nM. This electrochemical sensor of bisphenol A provided a convenient and economical platform with high sensitivity and reproducibility, which had great potential in environmental monitoring.     

Novel Sensing Assembly Comprising Engineered Gold Dendrites and MWCNT‐AuNPs Nanohybrid for Acetaminophen Detection in Human Urine

A layered nanohybrid comprising of multi walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNT)‐gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has been designed as a matrix for the development of Au dendritic nanostructures (AuDN) with enhanced catalytic activity. The developed sensor matrix was thoroughly characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX). The developed sensor probe MWCNT‐AuNPs/AuDN over glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was used for the label free detection of acetaminophen (AP), a commonly used drug associated with hepatotoxicity when overdosed, as a model molecule. The final sensor probe was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The sensor shows excellent analytical performances with a linear dynamic range (LDR) of 100 to 7500 nM, and a low limit of detection (LOD) of 2.12 (±0.03) nM, which is better than recently reported AP sensors. The practical application / clinical possibilities of the final sensor were evaluated by real sample analysis in human urine by spike and recovery method, where the AP recoveries were found in between 92 % to 96 %. The sensor probe shows negligible response towards co‐existing interfering molecules like glucose, urea, uric acid and various amino acids, which are commonly found in real samples (p<0.001, n=3). The shelf life of the sensor probe was evaluated and found to be stable for 8 weeks. The fabricated sensor probe using MWCNT‐AuNPs/AuDN is easy to fabricate, simple, robust, and able to detect AP in urine with high recoveries shows its possibilities to be used in clinical settings.     

Application of Carbon Paste Electrode Modified with Carbon Nanofibres/Polyaniline/Platinum Nanoparticles as an Electrochemical Sensor for the Determination of Bezafibrate

The present study deals with the development of an electrochemical sensor for quantitative determination of Bezafibrate (BZF) based on carbon nanofibers/polyaniline/platinum nanoparticles modified carbon paste electrode (CNF/PANI/Pt/CPE). BZF is a fibric acid derivative and is used largely in the treatment of lipid disorders. The nanocomposite was synthesized by in situ polymerization of aniline using ammonium persulphate and platinum nanoparticles were uniformly decorated on the CNF/PANI surface by reducing hexachloroplatinic acid using sodium borohydride. The electrochemical response of BZF at CNF/PANI/Pt/CPE was studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The above study resulted into significant improvement of the electrochemical signal towards the oxidation of BZF, revealing that the oxidation process is highly favorable at the surface of modified electrode. The anodic peak current I_p (μA) is found to be linearly dependent on BZF concentration in the range of 0.025 μM to 100 μM with a detection limit of 2.46 nM. The practical analytical utilities of the sensor were investigated by performing the experiments on synthetic pharmaceutical formulations, human blood serum and urine samples which offered good recovery, suggesting the high efficacy and authenticity of CNF/PANI/Pt/CPE sensor for BZF determination.     

Polyaniline‐Based Sensor Material for Potentiometric Determination of Ascorbic Acid

Polyaniline (PANI)‐based sensor material for determination of ascorbic acid was synthesized by oxidative chemical polymerization of aniline on a screen‐printed carbon‐paste electrode. The influence of PANI chemical structure formed under various polymerization conditions on the sensor response was investigated. The presence of aniline dimer derivatives in PANI structure was found to induce significant improvement of the limit of detection and the linear dynamic range without a change in sensitivity. The sensor prepared by aniline polymerization in pH 7 buffer leading to the product containing mainly the aniline dimer‐based units showed the best detection limit of 0.1 µM. It was shown that the PANI‐based sensor could be used for ascorbic acid analysis in the presence of citrate and lactate as interfering ions. A quantitative determination of ascorbic acid concentration in beverages and vitamins was performed.     

Investigation of plasma-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube film and its application of DNA sensor for Legionella pneumophila detection

A novel multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) electrode functionalized with oxygen plasma treatment was prepared and characterized, and its DNA sensing ability for Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) detection was examined using electrochemical measurement. A well-patterned MWCNT working electrode (WE) on a Pt track was fabricated using photolithography, transfer methods and an etching technique. The MWCNT WE was functionalized by oxygen plasma treatment prior to applying for DNA sensor. The surface morphology of the plasma-functionalized MWCNT (pf-MWCNT) WEs were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the change of chemical composition was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electrochemical measurements were performed using CV with ferricyanide/ferrocyanide redox couple. Effective areas of working electrodes were calculated to be 0.00453 cm² for pristine MWCNT electrode and 0.00747-0.00874 cm² for pf-MWCNT electrodes with different plasma treatment times. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was carried out in methylene blue solution for DNA sensing. The pf-MWCNT based DNA sensor was successfully operated in a target concentration range of 10 pM to 100 nM and had a lower detection limit than a pristine MWCNT based DNA sensor.     

Polyaniline Nanowire Arrays Deposited on Porous Carbon Derived from Raffia for Electrochemical Detection of Imidacloprid

An electrochemical sensor based on raffia derived porous carbon (RPC) and polyaniline (PANI) composite functional glass carbon electrode (GCE) was constructed for imidacloprid (IMI) determination. PANI nanowire arrays were deposited on RPC surface uniformly without aggregations. The electrochemical response of IMI at RPC@PANI/GCE is about four times than that at bare GCE, indicating high electrocatalytic activity of RPC@PANI towards IMI reduction. The prepared sensor also offers a wide linear range of 0.1–70 μg mL⁻¹ for IMI determination with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.03 μg mL⁻¹. In addition, it offers high recoveries with testing real samples.     

Non-enzymatic analysis of glucose on printed films based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes

We report on the fabrication of an enzyme–free electrochemical sensor for glucose based on a printed film consisting of multi–walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The MWCNT–based film can be produced by means of a flexographic printing process on a polycarbonate (PC) substrate. The electrochemical response of the MWCNT–based film (referred to as MWCNT–PC) towards the oxidation of glucose at pH 7 was studied by means of cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The MWCNT–PC film exhibits substantial electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of glucose at an anodic potential of 0.30?V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The findings reveal that the MWCNT–PC film enables non–enzymatic sensing of glucose with a detection limit as low as 2.16?μM and a sensitivity of 1045?μA?mM^?1?cm^?2.

Synthesis of polyaniline/multiwall carbon nanotube composite via inverse emulsion polymerization

The composite of polyaniline (PANI) and multiwall carbon nanotube carboxylated through acid treatment (c‐MWCNT) was synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization in an inverse emulsion system. The resultant composites were compared with products from aqueous emulsion polymerization to observe the improvements in electrical conductivity, structural properties, and thermal stability obtained by this synthetic method. Prior to the inverse emulsion polymerization, MWCNT was treated with a strong acid mixture to be functionalized with carboxylic acid groups. Carboxylic acid groups on surfaces induced selective dispersibility between polar and nonpolar solvents because of the increase of hydrophilicity. As the content of c‐MWCNT was increased, the electrical conductivity was increased by a charge transport function from the intrinsic electrical conductivity of MWCNT and the formation of a highly ordered dense structure of PANI molecules on the surface of c‐MWCNT. The images observed with electron spectroscopy showed the capping of c‐MWCNT with PANI. The growth of additional ordered structures of PANI/c‐MWCNT composite, which was observed through wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction patterns, supported the capping by PANI. It was observed that the doping of the composite had a significant relationship with the concentration of dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA). The thermal stability of PANI composite was improved by the addition of c‐MWCNT; this was thought to be related with structure ordering by inverse emulsion polymerization. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 2255–2266, 2008     

Titanium Dioxide/Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes Composite Modified Pencil Graphite Sensor for Sensitive Voltammetric Determination of Propranolol in Real Samples

A very effective electrochemical sensor for the analysis of propranolol was constructed using TiO₂/MWCNT film deposited on the pencil graphite electrode as modifier. The modified electrode represented excellent electrochemical properties such as fast response, high sensitivity and low detection limit. The proposed sensor showed an excellent selective response to propranolol in the presence of foreign species and other drugs. The electrochemical features of the modified electrode were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique which indicated a decrease in resistance of the modified electrode versus bare PGE and MWCNT/PGE. The surface morphology for the modified electrode was determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Differential pulse technique (DPV) was used to determine propranolol which showed a good analytical response in the linear range of 8.5×10⁻⁸-6.5×10⁻⁶ M with a limit of detection 2.1×10⁻⁸ M. The TiO₂/MWCNT/PGE sensor was conveniently applied for the measurement of propranolol in biological and pharmaceutical media.     

冠醚功能化的栅控石墨烯场效应晶体管的制备及对汞离子的检测

Hg²⁺是一种具有生物蓄积性和毒性的重金属, 对环境和人类健康均可造成严重损害. 因此, 开发便捷的Hg²⁺传感器非常必要. 本文基于溶液栅控石墨烯场效应晶体管的优异性能, 通过氮硫杂冠醚的尺寸效应以及冠醚与Hg²⁺的螯合作用来特异性识别Hg²⁺, 制备了一种冠醚功能化栅极的溶液栅控石墨烯场效应晶体管(SGGT)传感器. 该SGGT传感器因其固有的信号放大功能而比传统电化学检测Hg²⁺更灵敏, 其检出限为1×10^-12 mol/L, 比传统电化学传感器降低了2~3个数量级, 在1×10^-12~1×10^-7 mol/L检测范围内, 狄拉克点的变化值与目标物浓度的对数值之间存在良好的线性关系, 同时具有极高的选择性. 对实际湖水样品的检测效果良好, 对Hg²⁺的检测标准偏差为1.10%~3.77%. 本文结果表明, 该晶体管传感器可以对Hg²⁺进行高选择和高灵敏检测.     

Development of a Molecularly Imprinted Poly(Acrylic Acid)‐MWCNT Nanocomposite Electrochemical Sensor for Tramadol Determination in Pharmaceutical Samples

A new voltammetric sensor based on molecularly imprinted poly(acrylic acid)‐MWCNT nanocomposite (MIP‐MWCNT) drop‐coated onto glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was developed and applied to tramadol (TR) determination in pharmaceutical samples. The voltammetric sensor prepared by suspension of MIP‐MWCNT at 1 : 1 (w/w) ratio show an improved performance compared to unmodified GCE. The electrochemical method is based on preconcentration of tramadol onto MIP‐MWCNT modified GCE surface at ?1.5 V vs Ag/AgCl for 180 s in 0.1 Britton‐Robinson buffer (pH 8.0) at stirred solution. Upon preconcentration, the differential anodic voltammogram was recorded under the optimized condition giving rise to an analytical curve varying from 9.0 up to 30.0 μmol L^?1 (R²=0.997) and limits of detection and quantification of 1.4 and 4.8 μmol L^?1, respectively. The method precision was assessed in terms of intraday (n=6) and interday (two consecutive days) precision, giving relative standard deviations (RSD%) values between 2.8 to 7.4 %. Excipients usually found in pharmaceutical pills (magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, starch, and silica) and paracetamol were evaluated as potential interferents, however no interference was evidenced in TR determination. The method applicability was evaluated by TR analysis in pharmaceutical samples. Moreover, the method accuracy was attested by comparison of addition and recovery assays with a reference technique (high‐performance liquid chromatography).     

三元复合材料PANI／Ag／MWNT的电化学行为和比电容

通过原位聚合的方式在银纳米粒子/多壁碳纳米管（Ag/MWCNT）复合材料的表面成功聚合苯胺单体制备了聚苯胺/银纳米粒子/多壁碳纳米管（PANI/Ag/MWCNT）三元复合材料苯．通过对三元复合材料的结构以及表面形貌进行分析,表明聚苯胺层完全包覆了Ag/MWCNT复合材料,形成了核壳式结构．同时银纳米粒子则以单质晶体的形态存在于多壁碳纳米管与聚苯胺层之间．三元复合材料电极在1 mol/L的KOH溶液中具有极低的阻抗,而与聚苯胺电极相比,这些复合材料电极则表现出更低的电阻、更高的电化学活性和更好的循环稳定性．尤其是当苯胺和Ag：MWCNTs质量比为5：5时,该复合材料电极在0.25 A/g的电流密度下表现出最大的比电容值为160 F/g．     

A novel H2O2 sensor based on the enzymatically induced deposition of polyaniline at a horseradish peroxide/aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes modified Au electrode

A novel H(2)O(2) sensor based on enzymatically induced deposition of electroactive polyaniline (PANI) at a horseradish peroxide (HRP)/aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) modified Au electrode is fabricated, and its electrochemical behaviors are investigated. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the sensor confirmed the formation of PANI on SWCNTs through the HRP catalytic reaction. Cyclic voltammograms of PANI/HRP/SWCNTs modified Au electrodes showed a pair of well-defined redox peaks of PANI with reduction peak potentials of 0.211 and oxidation peak potentials of 0.293 V in 0.1 M HOAc-NaOAc (pH 4.3) solution. The oxidation peak current response of PANI is linearly related to H(2)O(2) concentration from 2.5 μM to 50.0 μM with a correlation coefficient of 0.9923 and a sensitivity of 200 μA mM(-1). The detection limit is determined to be 0.9 μM with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Thus, the synergistic performance of the enzyme, the highly efficient polymerization of PANI, and the templated deposition of SWCNTs provided an extensive platform for the design of novel electrochemical biosensors.     

Towards the development of an integrated capillary electrophoresis optical biosensor

Extending the previous preliminary study on the construction of a capillary electrophoresis (CE)/sensor for the detection of reducing analytes, we focus the interest on the simultaneous detection of redox active species, which are important indicators of the oxidative damage in tissues, of food preservation, and of pollution. The CE/sensor was built by modifying the detector-portion of the capillary with the redox-sensitive polymer polyaniline (PANI). The analyte is detected by monitoring the changes in optical absorption of the PANI film. The CE/sensor was tested, with good results, with ascorbic acid, glutathione (GSH), as well as with compounds with very close similarity (ascorbic and isoascorbic acid). The kinetics of oxidation and reduction of PANI were evaluated. Further a PANI/CE-biological sensor was developed by coupling an enzyme, glucose oxidase (GOD), to the PANI-modified portion of the capillary. The stability of the immobilized GOD and the sensitivity of the CE/biosensor were studied, by using glucose as test analyte in concentrations within the physiological range. The results indicate that the CE/biosensor had good stability (more than 75% of original activity retained after 30 operational days), manufacturing reproducibility and a sensing range convenient for monitoring physiological glucose (1-24 mM).     

Electrochemical Determination of the Herbicide Bentazone Using a Carbon Nanotube β‐Cyclodextrin Modified Electrode

An electrochemical sensor has been developed for the determination of the herbicide bentazone, based on a GC electrode modified by a combination of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) with β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) incorporated in a polyaniline film. The results indicate that the β‐CD/MWCNT modified GC electrode exhibits efficient electrocatalytic oxidation of bentazone with high sensitivity and stability. A cyclic voltammetric method to determine bentazone in phosphate buffer solution at pH 6.0, was developed, without any previous extraction, clean‐up, or derivatization steps, in the range of 10–80 µmol L^?1, with a detection limit of 1.6 µmol L^?1 in water. The results were compared with those obtained by an established HPLC technique. No statistically significant differences being found between both methods.