Copper‐based Metal‐organic Framework Applied in the Development of an Electrochemical Biomimetic Sensor for Catechol Determination

In this study, the synthesis and characterization of a Cu‐based metal‐organic framework (MOF) [Cu₃(BTC)₂(H₂O)₃]_n (where BTC=benzene‐1,3,5‐tricarboxylate), known as HKUST‐1, were performed. The Cu‐MOF was applied in the modification of a carbon paste to obtain a biomimetic sensor for the electrochemical determination of catechol. Kinetic assays confirmed that the Cu‐MOF acts as a catalyst for the oxidation of catechol and it can be considered as a catechol oxidase mimetic. Under optimized conditions, the calibration curve for catechol presented a linear range of 8.0×10⁻⁷ to 3.2×10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹, with detection limit of=1.0×10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹. The sensor demonstrated good intra‐day repeatability and inter‐electrode reproducibility (relative standard deviations of 3.8 % (n=10) and 4.3 % (n=6), respectively). In the selectivity study, an adequate peak‐to‐peak separation was observed for hydroquinone and uric acid in relation to catechol, demonstrating that this sensor has the potential for use in the simultaneous determination of these compounds. This sensor was successfully applied in the determination of catechol in water samples.     

Two‐dimensional π‐conjugated metal‐organic framework with high electrical conductivity for electrochemical sensing

A two‐dimensional π‐conjugated metal‐organic framework (MOF) with long‐range delocalized electrons has been prepared and applied as modified electrode material without further post‐modification. The MOF (Cu₃(HHTP)₂) is composed of Cu(II) centers and a redox‐active linker (2,3,6,7,10,11‐hexahydroxytriphenylene, HHTP). Compared to most MOFs, Cu₃(HHTP)₂ displays higher electrical conductivity and charge storage capacity owing to the collective effect of metal ions and aromatic ligands with π–π conjugation. In order to confirm the superior properties of this material, the electrochemical detection of dopamine (DA) was conducted and the satisfactory results were obtained. The currents increase linearly with the concentration of DA in the range 5.0 × 10^?8 to 2.0 × 10^?4 M with a detection limit of 5.1 nM. Furthermore, Cu₃(HHTP)₂ presents high selectivity and applicability in serum samples for electrochemical DA sensing. Overall, this material has excellent potential as a promising platform for establishing an MOF‐based electrochemical sensor.     

Electrochemical Characterization of Gold 6‐Amino‐2‐mercaptobenzothiazole Self‐Assembled Monolayer for Dopamine Detection in Pharmaceutical Samples

A new sensor, gold‐6‐amino‐2‐mercaptobenzothiazole (6A2MBT), was fabricated via a self‐assembly procedure. Electrochemical properties of the monolayer were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The modified electrode showed excellent antifouling property against the oxidation products of DA, allowed us to construct a dynamic calibration curve with two linear parts, 1.00×10^?6 to 3.72×10^?4 and 3.72×10^?4 to 6.42×10^?4 M DA, with correlation coefficients of 0.997 and 0.992 and a detection limit of 1.57×10^?7 M DA by using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), respectively. Finally, the performance of the Au‐6A2MBT modified electrode was successfully tested for electrochemical detection of DA in a pharmaceutical sample.     

Selective Detection of Dopamine in Presence of Ascorbic Acid by Use of Glassy‐Carbon Electrode Modified with Amino‐β‐Cyclodextrin and Carbon Nanotubes

A glassy carbon electrode modified with per‐6‐amino‐β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CDNH₂) and functionalized single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT‐COOH) was elaborated. This structure was investigated for the detection of dopamine acid (DA) in presence of ascorbic acid (AA). The sensor behavior was studied by cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The analysis results show that the electrode modification with CD derivative improves the sensitivity and selectivity of the DA recognition; the electrochemical response was further improved by introduction of SWCNT‐COOH. The sensor shows good and reversible linear response toward DA within the concentration range of 7×10^?7–10^?4 M with a detection limit of 5×10^?7 M.     

Selective Electrochemical Determination of Dopamine with Molecularly Imprinted Poly(Carbazole‐co‐Aniline) Electrode Decorated with Gold Nanoparticles

Dopamine (DA) is a significant neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, coexisting with uric acid (UA) and ascorbic acid (AA). UA and AA are easily oxidizable compounds having potentials close to that of DA for electrochemical analysis, resulting in overlapping voltammetric response. In this work, a novel molecularly imprinted (MI) electrochemical sensor was proposed for selective determination of DA (in the presence of up to 80‐fold excess of UA and AA), relying on gold nanoparticles (Au_nano)‐decorated glassy carbon (GC) electrode coated with poly(carbazole (Cz)‐co‐aniline (ANI)) copolymer film incorporating DA as template (DA imprinted‐GC/P(Cz‐co‐ANI)‐Au_nano electrode, DA‐MIP‐Au_nano electrode). The DA recognizing sensor electrode showed great electroactivity for analyte oxidation in 0.2 mol L^?1 pH 7 phosphate buffer. Square wave voltammetry (SWV) was performed within 10^?4–10^?5 mol L^?1 of DA, of which the oxidation peak potential was observed at 0.16 V. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 2.0×10^?6 and 6.7×10^?6 mol L^?1, respectively. Binary and ternary synthetic mixtures of DA‐UA, DA‐AA and DA‐UA‐AA yielded excellent recoveries for DA. Additionally, DA was quantitatively recovered from a real sample of bovine serum spiked with DA, and determined in concentrated dopamine injection solution. The developed SWV method was statistically validated against a literature potentiodynamic method using a caffeic acid modified‐GC electrode.     

Copper‐based Metal‐organic Framework for Non‐enzymatic Electrochemical Detection of Glucose

A non‐enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensor based on a Cu‐based metal‐organic framework (Cu‐MOF) modified electrode was developed. The Cu‐MOF was prepared by a simple ionothermal synthesis, and the characterizations of the Cu‐MOF were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), single‐crystal X‐ray powder diffraction (SCXRD), and X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD). Electrochemical behaviors of the Cu‐MOF modified electrode to glucose were measured by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The electrochemical results showed that the Cu‐MOF modified electrode exhibited an excellent electro‐catalytic oxidation towards glucose in the range of 0.06 μM to 5 mM with a sensitivity of 89 μA/mM cm² and a detection limit of 10.5 nM. Moreover, the fabricated sensor showed a high selectivity to the oxidation of glucose in coexistence with other interferences. The sensor was satisfactorily applied to the determination of glucose in urine samples. With the significant electrochemical performances, MOFs may provide a suitable platform in the construction of kinds of electrochemical sensors and/or biosensors and hold a great promise for sensing applications.     

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.     

A sensitive and selective sensor‐coated molecularly imprinted sol–gel film incorporating β‐cyclodextrin‐multi‐walled carbon nanotubes and cobalt nanoparticles‐chitosan for oxacillin determination

A sensitive and selective imprinted electrochemical sensor for the determination of oxacillin was developed based on indium tin oxide electrode. The proposed sensor was decorated with imprinted sol–gel film and cobalt nanoparticles‐chitosan/β‐cyclodextrin‐multiwalled carbon nanotubes nanocomposites. The surface morphologies of the modified electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope. The stepwise assembly process and electrochemical behavior of the novel sensor were characterized by differential pulse voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry and Amperometric i‐t response. The imprinted sensor displayed excellent selectivity toward oxacillin. Meanwhile, the introduced cobalt nanoparticles‐chitosan and β‐cyclodextrin‐multi‐walled carbon nanotubes exhibited noticeable amplified electrochemical response signal. The differential voltammetric anodic peak current was linear to oxacillin concentration in the range from 2.0 × 10^?7 to 1.0 × 10^?4 mol·l^?1, and the detection limit was 6.9 × 10^?9 mol·l^?1. The proposed imprinted sensor was applied to the determination of oxacillin in human blood serum samples successfully. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

β‐Cyclodextrin Incorporated Carbon Nanotube Paste Electrode as Electrochemical Sensor for Nifedipine

In this work a carbon paste electrode modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes/β‐cyclodextrin (MWCNTs/β‐CD) was constructed and applied to the determination of nifedipine. The electrochemical behavior of nifedipine at this electrode was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. Characterization of the modified electrode was conducted with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. After adsorption of nifedipine on the MWCNTs/β‐CD paste electrode at 0.0 V for 6 min, a well defined reduction peak was produced in sodium hydroxide of 0.05 M. The calibration curve was linear from 7.0×10^?8 to 1.5×10^?5 M. The detection limit was obtained as 2.5×10^?8 M. The results demonstrated that this electrochemical sensor has excellent sensitivity and selectivity. This sensor was applied for determination of nifedipine in drug dosage and blood serum with excellent recoveries.     

Simultaneous Determination of Dopamine and Ascorbic Acid Using the Nano‐Gold Self‐Assembled Glassy Carbon Electrode

Electrochemical behavior of dopamine (DA) was investigated at the gold nanoparticles self‐assembled glassy carbon electrode (GNP/LC/GCE), which was fabricated by self‐assembling gold nanoparticles on the surface of L ‐cysteine (LC) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) via successive cyclic voltammetry (CV). A pair of well‐defined redox peaks of DA on the GNP/LC/GCE was obtained at E_pa=0.197 V and E_pc=0.146 V, respectively. And the peak separation between DA and AA is about 0.2 V, which is enough for simultaneous determination of DA and AA. The peak currents of DA and AA were proportional with their concentrations in the range of 6.0×10^?8–8.5×10^?5 mol L^?1 and 1.0×10^?6–2.5×10^?3 mol L^?1, with the detection limit of 2.0×10^?8 mol L^?1 and 3.0×10^?7 mol L^?1 (S/N=3), respectively. The modified electrode exhibits an excellent reproducibility, sensibility and stability for simultaneous determination of DA and AA in human serum with satisfactory result.     

Air‐Free Synthesis of a Ferrous Metal‐Organic Framework Featuring HKUST‐1 Structure and its Mössbauer Spectrum

Single crystals of the Fe^II metal‐organic framework (MOF) with 1,3,5‐benzenetricarboxylate (BTC) as a linker were solvothermally obtained under air‐free conditions. X‐ray diffraction analysis of the crystals demonstrated a structure for Fe^II‐MOF analogous to that of [Cu₃(BTC)₂] (HKUST‐1). Unlike HKUST‐1, however, the Fe^II‐MOF did not retain permanent porosity after exchange of guest molecules. The Mössbauer spectrum of the Fe^II‐MOF was recorded at 80 K in zero field yielding an apparent quadrupole splitting of ΔE_Q = 2.43 mm · s^–1, and an isomer shift of δ = 1.20 mm · s^–1, consistent with high‐spin central iron(II) atoms. Air exposure of the Fe^II‐MOF was found to result in oxidation of the metal atoms to afford Fe^III. These results demonstrate that Fe^II‐based MOFs can be prepared in similar fashion to the [Cu₃(BTC)₂], but that they lack permanent porosity when degassed.     

Selective Electroanalysis of Ascorbic Acid Using a Nickel Hexacyanoferrate and Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) Hybrid Film Modified Electrode

The mixed‐valent nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF) and poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) hybrid film (NiHCF‐PEDOT) was prepared on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by multiple scan cyclic voltammetry. The films were characterized using atomic force microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (AC impedance). The advantages of these films were demonstrated for the detection of ascorbic acid (AA) using cyclic voltammetry and amperometric techniques. The electrocatalytic oxidation of AA at different electrode surfaces, such as the bare GCE, the NiHCF/GCE, and the NiHCF‐PEDOT/GCE modified electrodes, was determined in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7). The AA electrochemical sensor exhibited a linear response from 5×10⁻⁶ to 1.5×10⁻⁴ M (R²=0.9973) and from 1.55×10⁻⁴ to 3×10⁻⁴ M (R²=0.9983), detection limit=1×10⁻⁶ M, with a fast response time (3 s) for AA determination. In addition, the NiHCF‐PEDOT/GCE was advantageous in terms of its simple preparation, specificity, stability and reproducibility.     

Electrocatalytic Oxidation and Determination of Dopamine in the Presence of Ascorbic Acid and Uric Acid at a Poly (4‐(2‐Pyridylazo)‐Resorcinol) Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

A sensitive and selective electrochemical method for the determination of dopamine (DA) was developed using a 4‐(2‐Pyridylazo)‐Resorcinol (PAR) polymer film modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The PAR polymer film modified electrode shows excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of DA in a phosphate buffer solution (PBS) (pH 4.0). The linear range of 5.0×10^?6–3.0×10^?5 M and detection limit of 2.0×10^?7 M were observed. Simultaneous detection of AA, DA and UA has also been demonstrated on the modified electrode. This work provides a simple and easy approach to selective detection of DA in the presence of AA and UA.     

Sensitive Biomimetic Sensor Based on Molecular Imprinting at Functionalized Indium Tin Oxide Electrodes

We initially report an electrochemical sensing platform based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) at functionalized Indium Tin Oxide Electrodes (ITO). In this research, aminopropyl-derivatized organosilane aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES), which plays the role of functional monomers for template recognition, was firstly self-assembled on an ITO electrode and then dopamine-imprinted sol was spin-coated on the modified surface. APTES which can interact with template dopamine (DA) through hydrogen bonds brought more binding sites located closely to the surface of the ITO electrode, thus made the prepared sensor more sensitive for DA detection. Potential scanning is presented to extract DA from the modified film, thus DA can rapidly and completely leach out. The affinity and selectivity of the resulting biomimetic sensor were characterized using cyclic voltammetry (CV). It exhibited an increased affinity for DA over that of structurally related molecules, the anodic current for DA oxidation depended on the concentration of DA in the linear range from 2×10⁻⁶ M to 0.8×10⁻³ M with a correlation coefficient of 0.9927. In contrast, DA-templated film prepared under identical conditions on a bare ITO showed obviously lower response toward dopamine in solution. It should be noted that potential scanning is a very effective approach for DA extraction, and surface modification of the electrochemical transducer with functional monomers is responsible for the development of MIPs-based highly sensitive biomimetic sensor.     

Development of an Electrochemical Sensor for Selective Determination of Dopamine Based on Molecularly Imprinted Poly(p-aminothiophenol) Polymeric Film

In this study, a molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor (MIP/DA) was investigated for selective and sensitive determination of dopamine (DA) by electrochemical polymerization of p-aminothiophenol in the presence of DA on gold electrode. According to electrochemical behaviour of the sensor, gained through cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), MIP/DA sensor showed distinctive electron transfer characteristics in comparison to the non-imprinted (NIP/DA) sensor. Besides the MIP/DA sensor showed high selectivity for dopamine through its analyte specific cavities. The sensor had a broad working range of 5.0×10⁻⁸–2.0×10⁻⁷ M with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.8×10⁻⁸ M and the developed sensor was successfully applied for determination of dopamine in pharmaceutical samples.     

A Newly Competitive Electrochemical Sensor for Sensitive Determination of Chrysin Based on Electrochemically Activated Ta2O5 Particles Modified Carbon Paste Electrode

A novel electrochemically activated doped Ta₂O₅ particles modified carbon paste electrode (EA‐Ta₂O₅‐CPE) was prepared and applied for selective and sensitive determination of chrysin. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were used to characterize the Ta₂O₅ particles and investigate the electrochemical response of the sensor. Compared with bare CPE, the doped Ta₂O₅ modified electrode got much more porous by electrochemical treatment and exhibited larger effective surface area, more reactive site and excellent electrochemical catalytic activity toward the oxidation of chrysin. Under optimum conditions by LSV, the oxidation peak currents responded to chrysin linearly over a concentration range from 5.0×10⁻⁸ to 7.0×10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 2.0×10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ (5.08 ng mL⁻¹). The fabricated sensor showed anti‐interference ability against the biological common interferents (i.e. baicalein, baicalin) and provided to be reliable for the determination of chrysin in Chinese medicinal herb Oroxylum indicum and chrysin capsules samples with satisfactory results.     

Simultaneous Determination of Dopamine and Ascorbic Acid at an In‐Site Functionalized Self‐Assembled Monolayer on Gold Electrode

The in‐site functionalization of 4‐aminothiophenol (4‐ATP) self‐assembled monolayer on gold electrode at physiological pH yields a redox active monolayer of 4′‐mercapto‐N‐phenylquinone diimine (MNPD). The functionalized electrode exhibits excellent electrocatalytic responses towards dopamine (DA) and ascorbic acid (AA), reducing the overpotentials by about 0.22 V and 0.34 V, respectively, with greatly enhanced current responses. Due to its different catalytic activities toward DA and AA, the modified electrode resolves the overlapping voltammetric responses of DA and AA into two well‐defined voltammetric peaks by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), which can be used for the simultaneous determination of these species in a mixture. The catalytic peak current obtained from DPV was linearly related to DA and AA concentration in the ranges of 5.0×10^?6?1.25×10^?4 M and 8.0×10^?6?1.3×10^?4 M with correlation coefficient of 0.999 and 0.998, respectively. The detective limits (3σ) for DA and AA were found to be 1.2×10^?6 M and 2.4×10^?6 M, respectively. The modified electrode shows good sensitivity, selectivity and stability, and has been applied to the determination of DA and AA simultaneously in samples with satisfactory results.     

Electrocatalysis of N2 to NH3 by HKUST‐1 with High NH3 Yield

Electrolytic ammonia synthesis from nitrogen at ambient conditions is appearing as a promising alternative to the Haber‐Bosch process which is consuming high energy and emitting CO₂. Here, a typical MOF material, HKUST‐1 (Cu?BTC, BTC=benzene‐1,3,5‐tricarboxylate), was selected as an electrocatalyst for the reaction of converting N₂ to NH₃ under ambient conditions. At ?0.75 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, it achieves excellent catalytic performance in the electrochemical synthesis of ammonia with high NH₃ yield (46.63 μg h^?1 mg^?1 _cat. or 4.66 μg h^?1 cm^?2) and good Faraday efficiency (2.45%). It is indicated that the good performance of the HKUST‐1 catalyst may originate from the formation of Cu(I). In addition, the catalyst also has good selectivity for N₂ to NH₃.     

Development of an Electrochemical Sensor Based on Covalent Molecular Imprinting for Selective Determination of Bisphenol‐A

In this study, an electrochemical sensor was developed and used for selective determination of bisfenol‐A (BPA) by integrating sol‐gel technique and multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) modified paste electrode. BPA bounded by covalently to isocyanatopropyl‐triethoxy silane (ICPTS) was synthesized as a new precursor (BPA‐ICPTS) and then BPA‐imprinted polymer (BPA‐IP) sol‐gel was prepared by using tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and BPA‐ICPTS. Non‐imprinted polymer (NIP) sol‐gel was obtained by using TMOS and (3‐Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane. Both BPA‐IP and NIP sol‐gels were characterized by nitrogen adsorption‐desorption analysis, FTIR, SEM, particle size analyzer and optical microscope. Carbon paste sensor electrode was fabricated by mixing the newly synthesized BPA‐IP with MWCNTs, graphite powder and paraffin oil. The electrochemical characterization of the sensor electrode was achieved with cyclic and differential pulse voltammetric techniques. The response of the developed sensor under the most proper conditions was linear in BPA concentration range from 4.0×10⁻⁹ to 1.0×10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ and 5.0×10⁻⁷ to 5.0×10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹ and the detection limit was 4.4×10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹. The results unclosed that the proposed sensor displayed high sensitivity and selectivity, superior electrochemical performance and rapid response to BPA.     

Graphene Functionalized Graphite Electrode with Diphenylacetylene for Sensitive Electrochemical Determination of Adenosine‐5′‐triphosphate

In this paper a molecular wire modified carbon paste electrode (MW‐CPE) was firstly prepared by mixing graphite powder with diphenylacetylene (DPA). Then a graphene (GR) and chitosan (CTS) composite film was further modified on the surface of MW‐CPE to receive the graphene functionalized electrode (CTS‐GR/MW‐CPE), which was used for the sensitive electrochemical detection of adenosine‐5′‐triphosphate (ATP). The CTS‐GR/MW‐CPE exhibited excellent electrochemical performance and the electrochemical behavior of ATP on the CTS‐GR/MW‐CPE was carefully studied by cyclic voltammetry with an irreversible oxidation peak appearing at 1.369 V (vs. SCE). The electrochemical parameters such as charge transfer coefficient (α) and electrode reaction standard rate constant (k_s) were calculated with the results of 0.53 and 5.28×10^?6 s^?1, respectively. By using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) as detection technique, the oxidation peak current showed good linear relationship with ATP concentration in the range from 1.0 nM to 700.0 µM with a detection limit of 0.342 nM (3σ). The common coexisting substances, such as uric acid, ascorbic acid and guanosine‐5′‐triphosphate (GTP), showed no interferences and the modified electrode was successfully applied to injection sample detection.