Non‐covalent Immobilization of Iron‐triazole (Fe(Htrz)3) Molecular Mediator in Mesoporous Silica Films for the Electrochemical Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide

Mesoporous silica thin films encapsulating a molecular iron‐triazole complex, Fe(Htrz)₃ (Htrz=1,2,4,‐1H‐triazole), have been generated by electrochemically assisted self‐assembly (EASA) on indium‐tin oxide (ITO) electrode. The obtained modified electrodes are characterized by well‐defined voltammetric signals corresponding to the Fe^II/III centers of the Fe(Htrz)₃ species immobilized into the films, indicating fast electron transfer processes and stable operational stability. This is due to the presence of a high density of redox probes in the material (1.6×10^?4 mol g^?1 Fe(Htrz)₃ in the mesoporous silica film) enabling efficient charge transport by electron hopping. The mesoporous films are uniformly deposited over the whole electrode surface and they are characterized by a thickness of 110 nm and a wormlike mesostructure directed by the template role played by Fe(Htrz)₃ species in the EASA process. These species are durably immobilized in the material (they are not removed by solvent extraction). The composite mesoporous material (denoted Fe(Htrz)₃@SiO₂) is then used for the electrocatalytic detection of hydrogen peroxide, which can be performed by amperometry at an applied potential of ?0.4 V versus Ag/AgCl and by flow injection analysis. The organic‐inorganic hybrid film electrode displays good sensitivity for H₂O₂ sensing over a dynamic range from 5 to 300 μM, with a detection limit estimated at 2 μM.     

Direct electrochemistry of cytochrome c on nanotextured diamond surface

Nanotextured diamond surfaces with geometrical properties close to protein dimensions were used for the realization of direct electron transfer of cytochrome c (cyt c) without any covalent bonding. The peroxidase activity of native and denatured cyt c was also investigated. Cyclic voltammograms of native cyt c show quasi-reversible electron transfer reactions, while no heme redox activity is detected for denatured cyt c. Unfolding (denaturation) of cyt c can be achieved in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Partially or fully denatured cyt c showed higher peroxidase activity than native cyt c. This is because denatured cyt c loses its tertiary structure and hydrogen peroxide is easier to access the heme redox center. The apparent Michaelis–Menten constant K_m for native and denatured cyt c has been determined to be 0.23 mM and 0.08 mM.     

Redox reaction of PEO modified cytochrome c adsorbed on the electrode in ion conductive PEO matrix analyzed with non-contact optical waveguide spectroscopy

Optical waveguide spectroscopy was used under non-contact conditions to analyze the visible absorption spectrum of poly(ethylene oxide) (M _w = 150) modified cytochrome c (PEO₁₅₀-cyt.c) adsorbed on an indium tin oxide (ITO) glass electrode. The redox reactions of the adsorbed PEO₁₅₀-cyt.c were dynamically measured in situ in PEO oligomers (M _w = 200). It was confirmed that PEO modification of cyt.c is effective in maintaining the redox activity of the cyt.c after adsorption on the ITO glass electrode. The PEO₁₅₀-cyt.c adsorbed on the electrode re-dissolved gradually in PEO oligomer. Against this, PEO₁₀₀₀-cyt.c having longer PEO chains (M _w = 1000) was found to be adsorbed stably on the electrode. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase immobilized on a hexagonal mesoporous silica-MCM-41 matrix

The direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase (GOD) immobilized on a hexagonal mesoporous silica modified glassy carbon electrode was investigated. The adsorbed GOD displayed a pair of redox peaks with a formal potential of -417 mV in 0.1 M pH 6.1 phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The response showed a diffusion-controlled electrode process with a two-electron transfer coupled with a two-proton transfer reaction process. GOD immobilized on a hexagonal mesoporous silica retained its bioactivity and stability. In addition, the immobilized GOD could electrocatalyze the oxidation of glucose to gluconlactone by taking ferrocene monocarboxylic acid (FMCA) as a mediator in N(2) saturated solutions, indicating that the electrode may have the potential application in biosensors to analyze glucose. The sensor could exclude the interference of commonly coexisted uric acid, p-acetaminophenol and ascorbic acid and diagnose diabetes very fast and sensitively. This work demonstrated that the mesoporous silica provided a novel matrix for protein immobilization and the construction of biosensors.     

Functionalized mesoporous silica films as a matrix for anchoring electrochemically active guests

Mesoporous silica thin films were shown to be an appropriate matrix for immobilization of discrete electroactive moieties, yielding uniform transparent thin film electrodes with defined texture and enhanced electrochemical activity. The mesoporous silica films prepared on conducting FTO-coated glass substrate were postsynthetically functionalized. Alkoxysilanes were used as precursors for subsequent grafting via ionic or covalent bonds of representative electroactive species, such as polyoxometalate PMo12O(40)3-, hexacyanoferrate(III), and ferrocene. The electrochemically active concentration within the silica-based composite electrodes achieves 90, 260, and 60 micromol cm(-3) for polyoxometalate, hexacyanoferrate(III), and ferrocene, respectively. The amount of molecules involved in the charge-transfer sequence is proportional to the film thickness and comparable to the total amount of embedded guests. Thus, eventually the whole bulk volume of the modified silica films is electrochemically accessible. Immobilization in the chemically modified silica matrix alters the redox potential of the electroactive molecules. Electron exchange between the adjacent redox centers (electron hopping) is proposed as a possible charge propagation pathway through the insulating silica matrix, which is supported by the fact that the high charge uptake is observed also for the hybrid electrodes with the covalently anchored redox guests.     

Electrochemistry and biosensing activity of cytochrome c immobilized on a mesoporous interface assembled from carbon nanospheres

We report on an amperometric biosensor for hydrogen peroxide. It is obtained via layer-by-layer assembly of ordered mesoporous carbon nanospheres and poly(diallyldimethylammonium) on the surface of an indium tin oxide (ITO) glass electrode and subsequent adsorption of cytochrome c. UV–vis absorption spectroscopy was applied to characterize the process of forming the assembled layers. Cyclic voltammetry revealed a direct and quasi-reversible electron transfer between cytochrome c and the surface of the modified ITO electrode. The surface-controlled electron transfer has an apparent heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constant (k _s ) of 5.9?±?0.2?s^?1 in case of the 5-layer electrode. The biosensor displays good electrocatalytic response to the reduction of H₂O₂, and the amperometric signal increase steadily with the concentration of H₂O₂ in the range from 5?μM to 1.5?mM. The detection limit is 1?μM at pH 7.4. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (K _m ) of the sensor is 0.53?mM. We assume that the observation of a direct electron transfer of cytochrome c on mesoporous carbon nanospheres may form the basis for a feasible approach for durable and reliable detection of H₂O₂.

Synthesis, characterization, and immobilization of Prussian blue-modified Au nanoparticles: application to electrocatalytic reduction of H2O2

Au nanoparticles modified with electroactive Prussian blue (PB) were for the first time synthesized by a simple chemical method. Transmission electronic microscopy showed that the average size of the Prussian blue shell/Au core hybrid composite (PB@Au) was about 50 nm, and Fourier transform IR, UV-vis spectra, and cyclic voltammetry confirmed the existence of PB on the surface of Au nanoparticles. Using the LbL technique, multilayer thin films of PB@Au nanoparticles were prepared by the alternate adsorption of oppositely charged linear polyelectrolyte poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) onto ITO glass for the construction of a hydrogen peroxide sensor. The novel multilayer films were characterized by SEM, cyclic voltammetry, and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The {PAH/PB@Au}n multilayer-modified electrode showed a well-defined pair of redox peaks and dramatic catalytic activity toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide.     

Immobilization and electrochemical redox behavior of cytochrome c on fullerene film-modified electrodes

Two different fullerene film-modified electrodes were prepared and used for surface immobilization and electrochemical property investigation of horse heart cytochrome c (cyt c). Both a pristine fullerene film and fullerene-palladium (C(60)-Pd) polymer film-modified platinum, glassy carbon and indium-tin-oxide (ITO) electrodes were used. The immobilized cyt c was characterized by piezoelectric microgravimetry at a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), UV-visible absorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as well as cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques. The UV-visible spectral studies revealed a small blue shift of both the Soret and Q band of the heme moiety of cyt c, immobilized on the C(60)-Pd polymer film-modified ITO electrode, as compared to the bands of cyt c in solution suggesting that molecules of cyt c are densely packed onto the surface of the modified electrode. The CV studies revealed a quasi-reversible electrode behavior of the heme moiety indicating the occurrence of kinetically hindered electron transfer. A good agreement was found between the values of cyt c electrode surface coverage determined by piezoelectric microgravimetry and cyclic voltammetry. For piezoelectric microgravimetry, these values ranged from 0.5 x 10(-10) to 2.5 x 10(-10) mol cm(-2), depending upon the amount of cyt c present in solution and the time allowed for immobilization, which compared with a value of 3.6+/-0.4 x 10(-10) mol cm(-2) determined by CV. The possible mechanisms of cyt c immobilization on the C(60) film and C(60)-Pd film-modified electrodes are also discussed.     

Direct electrochemistry and electroanalysis of hemoglobin adsorbed in self-assembled films of gold nanoshells

Gold nanoshells (GNSs), consisting of a silica core and a thin gold shell, were self-assembled on the surface of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTES) modified indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. The resulting novel GNSs-coated ITO (GNSs/APTES/ITO) electrode could provide a biocompatible surface for the adsorption of hemoglobin (Hb). The UV-visible (UV-vis) spectra indicated that Hb adsorbed on the GNSs interface retained the native structure. Electrochemical impedance spectra and cyclic voltammetric techniques were employed to evaluate the electrochemical behaviors of Hb, the results demonstrated that GNSs could act as electron tunnels to facilitate electron transfer between Hb and the electrode. Based on the activity of Hb adsorbed on the GNSs/APTES/ITO electrode toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, a mediator-free H₂O₂ biosensor was constructed, which showed a broad linear range from 5 μM to 1 mM with a detection limit of 3.4 μM (S/N = 3). The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant was calculated to be 180 μM, suggesting a high affinity.     

Fabrication of a Nanobiocomposite Film Containing Heme Proteins and Carbon Nanotubes on a Choline Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode: Direct Electrochemistry and Electrochemical Catalysis

A nanocomposite electrochemical sensing film is assembled on choline (Ch) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE), which contains multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), Nafion cation exchanger, and myoglobin (Mb) or hemoglobin (Hb). The MWNTs provide a 3D porous and conductive network for the enzyme immobilization and Nafion acts as polymeric binder to give cast thin films. Both MWNTs and Nafion provide negative functionalities to bind to the positively charged redox proteins and to attach at the positively charged Ch modified layer, and drive the formation of homogeneous and stable nanocomposite film, the MWNT‐Nafion‐Mb. The nanocomposite film was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE‐SEM). The Mb in the nanocomposite film showed a pair of well‐defined and nearly reversible cyclic voltammetric peaks at about ?0.32 V vs. SCE at pH 7.0 solution for the heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple. The immobilized heme proteins can display the features of peroxidase in electrocatalytic reductions of oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide, trichloroacetic acid (TCA), and bromate.     

Amperometric Glucose Biosensor Based on Glucose Oxidase Encapsulated in Carbon Nanotube–Titania–Nafion Composite Film on Platinized Glassy Carbon Electrode

A highly sensitive and selective glucose biosensor has been developed based on immobilization of glucose oxidase within mesoporous carbon nanotube–titania–Nafion composite film coated on a platinized glassy carbon electrode. Synergistic electrocatalytic activity of carbon nanotubes and electrodeposited platinum nanoparticles on electrode surface resulted in an efficient reduction of hydrogen peroxide, allowing the sensitive and selective quantitation of glucose by the direct reduction of enzymatically‐liberated hydrogen peroxide at ?0.1 V versus Ag/AgCl (3 M NaCl) without a mediator. The present biosensor responded linearly to glucose in the wide concentration range from 5.0×10^?5 to 5.0×10^?3 M with a good sensitivity of 154 mA M^?1cm^?2. Due to the mesoporous nature of CNT–titania–Nafion composite film, the present biosensor exhibited very fast response time within 2 s. In addition, the present biosensor did not show any interference from large excess of ascorbic acid and uric acid.     

A hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on the direct electron transfer of hemoglobin encapsulated in liquid-crystalline cubic phase on electrode

Liquid crystal cubic phase formed with monoolein has been used as immobilizing matrix to host redox protein hemoglobin on glassy carbon electrode surface. The promoted direct electron transfer between hemoglobin and electrode was observed and a large average kinetic electron transfer rate constant k(s) of 3.03(±0.02)s(-1) was estimated. The electrode modified with cubic phase containing hemoglobin retains the bioactivity of hemoglobin and shows excellent bioelectrocatalytic activity to the reduction of hydrogen peroxide with a small apparent Michaelis-Menten constant of 0.25(±0.03)mM. A novel reagentless hydrogen peroxide biosensor was constructed using the hemoglobin-containing cubic phase modified electrode and the proposed hydrogen peroxide biosensor shows a linear range of 7.0-239μM with a detection limit of 3.1(±0.2)μM and good stability and reproducibility.     

Supramolecular Assembly of β‐Cyclodextrin‐Capped Gold Nanoparticles on Ferrocene‐Functionalized ITO Surface for Enhanced Voltammetric Analysis of Ascorbic Acid

A supramolecular recognition functionalized electrode (βCD‐nanoAu/Fc‐ITO) which exhibits redox‐activity was prepared through supramolecular assembly of β‐cyclodextrin (βCD) capped gold nanoparticles (βCD‐nanoAu) on the ITO previously coated with a monolayer of ferrocene residues (Fc‐ITO). The immobilization of βCD‐nanoAu on Fc‐ITO was confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the supramolecular nature of the immobilization approach was also confirmed by cyclic voltammetry. On the other hand, the electrocatalytic activity of βCD‐nanoAu/Fc‐ITO electrode was also studied. The electrocatalytic activity toward ascorbic acid (AA) was enhanced compared with that at the Fc‐ITO electrode, and a linear relationship existed between the anodic peak and the concentration of AA in the range of 5.3×10^?5 to 3.0×10^?3 M with a detection limit (S/N=3) of 4.1×10^?6 M.     

Preparation of amino-functionalized mesoporous silica thin films with highly ordered large pore structures

Highly ordered amino-functionalized mesoporous silica thin films have been directly synthesized by co-condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) in the presence of triblock copolymer Pluronic P123 surfactant species under acidic conditions by sol-gel dip-coating. The effect of the sol aging on thin films organization is systematically studied, and the optimal sol aging time is obtained. The amino-functionalized mesoporous silica thin films exhibit a long-range ordering of 2D hexagonal (p6mm) mesostructure with a large pore size of 8.3 nm, a large Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area of 680 m² g⁻¹ and a large pore volume of 1.06 cm³ g⁻¹ following surfactant extraction as demonstrated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscope (TEM), and physical adsorption techniques. Based on BET surface area and weight loss, the surface coverage of amino-groups for the amino-functionalized mesoporous silica thin films is calculated to be 3.2 amino-groups per nm². Moreover, the functionalized thin films display improved properties for immobilization of cytochrome c in comparison with pure-silica mesoporous thin films.     

Tetrazine-functionalized and vertically-aligned mesoporous silica films with electrochemical activity and fluorescence properties

In spite of their attractive physico-chemical properties making them very promising in the field of functional molecular materials, s-tetrazine derivatives remain underexploited in practical devices mainly because their immobilization in a stable form maintaining all their features is still challenging. Here, we show that combining a ‘click chemistry azide/alkyne’ approach with an electrochemically-assisted self-assembly (EASA) method, which is likely to generate azide-functionalized and vertically-aligned mesoporous silica films, and further derivatization of the ordered mesoporous material with propargyl–tetrazine via a soft Huisgen coupling reaction, enable one to reach this goal. The resulting tetrazine-functionalized films formed onto transparent indium–tin oxide (ITO) electrodes exhibit well-defined voltammetric signals, with peak currents proportional to the functionalization level and stable upon multiple potential scanning, as well as effective fluorescence properties as evidenced from fluorescence spectra with maximum emission at 555–560 nm.     

Nickel-Zeolite modified carbon paste electrode as electrochemical sensor for hydrogen peroxide

In the present work, nickel-zeolite modified carbon paste electrode (Ni-ZMCPE) was prepared. The electrochemical behaviour of hydrogen peroxide at the surface of modified electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry in 0.1 M NaOH supporting electrolyte. The electrochemical characterization of Ni-ZMCPE exhibits redox behavior of Ni(III)/Ni(II) couple in alkaline medium. It has been shown that Ni-ZMCPE improves efficiency of the modified electrode toward hydrogen peroxide electrooxidation (It wasn’t remarkable different on ZMCPE and CPE in the presence and absence of hydrogen peroxide). Moreover, the effects of various parameters such as effect of different percents of Ni-Z to graphite, effect of pH and hydrogen peroxide concentration on the electrooxidation of hydrogen peroxide as well as stability of the Ni-ZMCPE have also been investigated. Under the selected conditions, the anodic peak current was linearly dependent on the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the range 0.03–0.1 and 0.3–6 mM with amperometric method. The detection limit (S/N = 3) was also estimated to be 1 μM.     

Characterization and application of an electrode modified by mechanically immobilized copper hexacyanoferrate

A newly modified electrode was prepared by mechanical immobilization of copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHCF) on a graphite electrode. The modified electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetric experiments. The effect of different background electrolytes, pHs and scan rates on the electrochemical behaviour of the electrode has been evaluated. In NH₄Cl two reversible redox peaks were observed. The first redox peak corresponding to Cu⁺/Cu²⁺ is observed only in this medium. The second redox peak corresponds to the Fe(CN)₆ ^4–/Fe(CN)₆ ^3– couple. Both anodic peaks were used for catalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid. As the anodic current for catalytic oxidation was proportional to the amount of ascorbic acid, an analytical method was developed for the determination of ascorbic acid in commercial samples.     

A novel label-free electrochemical aptasensor for thrombin based on the {nano-Au/thionine}n multilayer films as redox probes

Herein, a novel label-free electrochemical aptasensor based on direct immobilization of the redox probes on an electrode surface was reported. Gold electrode coated Nafion was firstly modified with redox probe-thionine (Thi) through ion exchange adsorption. Then, with the help of chemisorption and electrostatic adsorption, negatively charged nano-Au and positively charged Thi were layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembled onto the modified electrode surface, which formed {nano-Au/Thi⁺}_n multilayer films for improving the amount of redox probes and immobilizing thiolated thrombin aptamers (TBA). In the presence of target thrombin (TB), the TBA on the multilayer film could catch the TB onto the electrode surface, which resulted in a barrier for electro-transfer, leading to decrease of the current. The proposed method avoided the cubsome redox probe labeling process, increased the amount of redox probe and reduced the distance between the redox probe and electrode surface. Thus, the approach showed a high sensitivity and a wider linearity to TB in the range from 0.12 nM to 46 nM with a detection limit of 40 pM.     

Preparation and characterization of polyoxometalate/protein ultrathin films grown on electrode surfaces using layer-by-layer assembly

We report a new electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly method for the controlled deposition of electrocatalytically active enzymes onto electrode surfaces using polyoxometalate as the counteranion. Cytochrome c (cyt c), a redox active protein, and P(2)W(18)O(62)(6-), a Dawson-type polyoxometalate, were deposited onto glassy carbon electrodes by two procedures: static dipping and electrochemical cycling. Cyclic voltammetry and UV-vis spectroscopy reveal that approximately 1.5 x 10(-10) mol/cm(2) of P(2)W(18)O(62)(6-) and 2.2 x 10(-11) mol/cm(2) of cytochrome c are deposited per cycle, which correspond to approximately one monolayer of each molecule. The thicknesses of the resulting films measured by atomic force microscopy also indicate that the films are formed in a layer-by-layer fashion. Experimental factors that affect electron-transfer rate in these films, such as scan rate and film thickness, were systematically analyzed. The use of {P(2)W(18)O(62)(6-)/cyt c}n films to catalyze hydrogen peroxide reduction was demonstrated.     

Electropolymerization of iron tetra(<Emphasis Type="Italic">o</Emphasis>-aminophenyl)porphyrin from aqueous solution and the electrocatalytic behavior of modified electrode

Stable electroactive iron tetra(o-aminophenyl)porphyrin (FeTAPP) films are prepared by electropolymerization from aqueous solution by cycling the electrode potential between −0.4 and 1.0 V vs Ag/AgCl at 0.1 V s⁻¹. The cyclic voltammetric response indicates that polymerization takes place after the oxidation of amino groups, and the films could be produced on glassy carbon (GC) and gold electrodes. The film growth of poly(FeTAPP) was monitored by using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance. The cyclic voltammetric features of Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple in the film resembles that of surface confined redox species. The electrochemical response of the modified electrode was found to be dependent on the pH of the contacting solution with a negative shift of 57 mV/pH. The electrocatalytic behavior of poly(FeTAPP) film-modified electrode was investigated towards reduction of hydrogen peroxide, molecular oxygen, and chloroacetic acids (mono-, di-, and tri-). The reduction of hydrogen peroxide, molecular oxygen, and dichloroacetic acid occurred at less negative potential on poly(FeTAPP) film compared to bare GC electrode. Particularly, the overpotential of hydrogen peroxide was reduced substantially. The O₂ reduction proceeds through direct four-electron reduction mechanism.