Cholesterol biosensor based on amino-undecanethiol self-assembled monolayer using surface plasmon resonance technique

Cholesterol oxidase has been covalently immobilized onto 11-amino-1-undecanethiol hydrochloride (AUT) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) fabricated on gold (Au) substrates using glutaraldehyde as a cross-linker. These ChOx/AUT/Au bioelectrodes characterized using contact angle (CA) measurements; electrochemical technique and atomic force microscopy (AFM) have been utilized for the estimation of cholesterol in solution using the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique. These biosensing electrodes exhibiting linearity from 50 to 500 mg/dL of cholesterol in solution and sensitivity of 1.23 m0/(mg dL), can be used more than 20 times and have a shelf life of about 10 weeks when stored at 4 degrees C.     

Transferring complementary target DNA from aqueous solutions onto solid surfaces by using affinity microcontact printing

In this paper, we report a method of transferring complementary target DNA from an aqueous solution onto a solid surface by using affinity microcontact printing. In this approach, the probe DNA is first immobilized on the surface of an aminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamp. After a complementary target DNA hybridizes with the probe DNA on the stamp surface, the PDMS stamp is printed on an aminated glass slide. By using fluorescent microscopy, we show that only complementary target DNA, but not noncomplementary DNA, can be captured onto the surface of the stamp and then transferred to the aminated glass slide. The transfer of DNA can be attributed to the stronger electrostatic attraction between DNA and amine groups compared to the hydrogen bonds between the hybridized DNA molecules. We also investigate several factors that may influence the transfer of DNA, such as the surface density of amine groups, hybridization conditions, and contamination from unreacted PDMS monomers.     

Fabrication of DNA nanowires by orthogonal self-assembly and DNA intercalation on a Au patterned Si/SiO2 surface

A novel Ru complex bearing both an acridine group and anchoring phosphonate groups was immobilized on a surface in order to capture double-stranded DNAs (dsDNAs) from solution. At low surface coverage, the atomic force microscopy (AFM) image revealed the "molecular dot" morphology with the height of the Ru complex ( approximately 2.5 nm) on a mica surface, indicating that four phosphonate anchor groups keep the Ru complex in an upright orientation on the surface. Using a dynamic molecular combing method, the DNA capture efficiency of the Ru complex on a mica surface was examined in terms of the effects of the number of molecular dots and surface hydrophobicity. The immobilized surface could capture DNAs; however, the optimal number of molecular dots on the surface as well as the optimal pull-up speed exist to obtain the extended dsDNAs on the surface. Applying this optimal condition to a Au-patterned Si/SiO 2 (Au/SiO 2) surface, the Au electrode was selectively covered with the Ru complex by orthogonal self-assembly of 4-mercaptbutylphosphonic acid (MBPA), followed by the formation of a Zr (4+)-phosphonate layer and the Ru complex. At the same time, the remaining SiO 2 surface was covered with octylphosphonic acid (OPA) by self-assembly. The selective immobilization of the Ru complex only on the Au electrode was identified by time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) imaging on the chemically modified Au/SiO 2 surface. The construction of DNA nanowires on the Au/SiO 2 patterned surface was accomplished by the molecular combing method of the selective immobilized Ru complex on Au electrodes. These interconnected nanowires between Au electrodes were used as a scaffold for the modification of Pd nanoparticles on the DNA. Furthermore, Cu metallization was achieved by electroless plating of Cu metal on a priming of Pd nanoparticles on the Pd-covered DNA nanowires. The resulting Cu nanowires showed a metallic behavior with relatively high resistance.     

Covalent grafting tyrosinase and its application in phenolic compounds detection

A stepwise strategy is reported for the design of a meditor-free amperometric tyrosinase biosensor. It is based on the azide-alkyne click reaction and carbodiimide coupling. Firstly, azide-terminated alkane thiols monolayers were self-assembled on the Au electrode surface. Then, nitrophenyl groups were covalent attached to the self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) via the click reaction of copper(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of azide-alkyne. Finally, the nitrophenyl group terminated SAMs were converted to aminophenyl-terminated interface by electrochemical reduction, and tyrosinase was covalent immobilized onto the Au electrode via carbodiimide reaction. Based on the stepwise strategy, a meditor-free amperometric tyrosinase biosensor was farbricated, and it showed good electrocatalytic reduction ability toward phenol, pyrocatechol and m-Cresol. Their linear ranges were over the range of 0.2 to 15.0 μmol·L^?1, 0.2 to 73.0 μmol·L^?1, and 0.2 to 33.0 μmol·L^?1, respectively.     

Electrochemistry at chemically assembled single-wall carbon nanotube arrays

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) chemically assembled on gold substrates were employed as electrodes to investigate the charge transfer process between SWNTs and the underlying substrates. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) indicates that the assembled SWNTs allow electron communication between a gold electrode and the redox couple in solution, though the SWNTs are linked directly onto the insulating monolayer of 11-amino-n-undecanethiol (AUT) on the Au substrate. An electron transfer (ET) mechanism, which contains an electron tunneling process across the AUT monolayer, is proposed to explain the CV behavior of Au/AUT/SWNT electrodes. Electrochemical measurements show that the apparent electron tunneling resistance, which depends on the surface density of assembled SWNTs, has apparent effects similar to those of solution resistance on CV behavior . The theory of solution resistance is used to describe the apparent tunneling resistance. The experimental results of the dependence of ET parameter psi on the potential scan rate upsilon are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. Kinetic studies of the chemical assembly of SWNTs by atomic force microscopic (AFM), electrochemical, and Raman spectroscopic methods reveal that two distinct assembly kinetics exist: a relatively fast step that is dominated by the surface reaction, and a successive slow step that is governed by bundle formation.     

Unmediated by DNA electron transfer in redox-labeled DNA duplexes end-tethered to gold electrodes

Electron transfer (ET) between gold electrodes and redox-labeled DNA duplexes, immobilized onto the electrodes through the alkanethiol linker at the 3'-end and having internal either methylene blue (MB) or anthraquinone (AQ) redox labels, was shown to depend on the redox label charge and the way the redox label is linked to DNA. For loosely packed DNA monolayers, the conjugation of the positively charged MB to DNA through the long and flexible alkane linker provided ET whose kinetics was formally governed by the diffusion of the redox label to the negatively charged electrode surface. For the uncharged AQ label no ET signal was detected. The conjugation of AQ to DNA through the short and more conductive acetylene linker did not provide the anticipated DNA-mediated ET to the AQ-moiety: ET appeared to be low-efficient if any in the studied system, for which no intercalation of AQ within the DNA duplex occurred. The ET communication between the electrode and AQ, built in DNA through the acetylene linker, was achieved only when Ru(NH(3))(6)(3+) molecules were electrostatically attached to the DNA duplex, thus forming the electronic wire. These results are of particular importance both for the fundamental understanding of the interfacial behavior of the redox labeled DNA on electrodes and for the design of biosensors exploiting a variation of ET properties of DNA in the course of hybridization.     

Creating patterned carbon nanotube catalysts through the microcontact printing of block copolymer micellar thin films

We report a route for synthesizing patterned carbon nanotube (CNT) catalysts through the microcontact printing of iron-loaded poly(styrene-block-acrylic acid) (PS-b-PAA) micellar solutions onto silicon wafers coated with thin aluminum oxide (Al(2)O(3)) layers. The amphiphilic block copolymer, PS-b-PAA, forms spherical micelles in toluene that can form quasi-hexagonal arrays of spherical PAA domains within a PS matrix when deposited onto a substrate. In this report, we dip a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) molded stamp into an iron-loaded micellar solution to create a thin film on the PDMS features. The PDMS stamp is then put in contact with a substrate, and uniaxial compressive stress is applied to transfer the micellar thin film from the PDMS stamp onto the substrate in a defined pattern. The polymer is then removed by oxygen plasma etching to leave a patterned iron oxide nanocluster array on the substrate. Using these catalysts, we achieve patterned vertical growth of multiwalled CNTs, where the CNTs maintain the fidelity of the patterned catalyst, forming high-aspect-ratio standing structures.     

氯过氧化物酶-聚L-赖氨酸/GC电极的电化学特性

应用电化学方法在玻碳电极上修饰聚L-赖氨酸膜,以1-乙基-(3-二甲基氨基丙基)碳二亚胺盐酸盐做交联剂,固定氯过氧化物酶.修饰电极的循环伏安曲线呈现一对可逆的氧化还原峰,表明聚L-赖氨酸能够很好地促进氯过氧化物酶在电极表面的直接电子传递,这是一个受吸附控制并伴随有质子转移的准可逆电子传递过程.该电极有很好的稳定性,并能显著地电催化氧的电化学还原反应.     

Electrografted Poly(N‐mercaptoethyl acrylamide) and Au Nanoparticles‐Based Organic/Inorganic Film: A Platform for the High‐Performance Electrochemical Biosensors

In this study, we describe the use of the combination of eletrografting poly(N‐mercaptoethyl acrylamide) and Au nanoparticles in the construction of high‐performance biosensors. The poly(N‐mercaptoethyl acrylamide) was electrografted onto the glassy carbon electrode surface, which provided a strongly adhering primer film for the stable attachment of Au nanoparticles and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzymes. The performances of the biosensors based on the HRP immobilized in the Au/poly(N‐mercaptoethyl acrylamide) composite film were investigated. A couple of redox peaks were obtained, indicating that the Au nanoparticles could facilitate the direct‐electron transfer between HRP and the underlying electrode. The biosensor showed an excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of hydrogen oxide and long‐term stability, owing to the stable electrografted film and biocompatible Au nanoparticles. Our results demonstrate that the combination of electrografting and Au nanoparticles provides a promising platform for the immobilization of biomolecules and analysis of redox enzymes for their sensing applications.     

Lightweight ITO Electrodes Decorated with Gold Nanostructures for Electrochemical Applications

Gold nanostructures were fabricated on a transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) coated PET substrate by an electrodeposition technique from a potassium gold (III) chloride solution for two different types of applications. It was found that the optical transparency of lightweight ITO electrodes could be maintained by depositing isolated gold nanostructures while opening up the use of these electrodes for inner sphere electron reactions, such as hydroquinone oxidation, which are not possible at ITO electrodes. For practical applications the adhesion of gold to the ITO electrode was improved by modifying the ITO surface with 3‐mercaptopropyl‐trimethoxysilane (MPS). Compared to Au/ITO, the Au/MPS/ITO electrode showed vastly improved electrochemical activity toward various electron transfer reactions when subjected to mechanical stress. The biosensing properties of the Au/MPS/ITO electrode was also investigated by studying the detection of immobilized DNA on the Au/MPS/ITO electrode via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).     

Surface-electrochemistry of ferritin adsorbed on 8-mercaptooctanoic acid-modified gold electrodes

Ferritin adsorbs on gold electrodes modified with a layer of 8-mercaptooctanoic acid. Cyclic voltammetry indicates the reduction of the ferritin layer at negative potentials followed by an anodic process in the return scan. However, a second cycle reveals that the latter signal is the anodic branch of a new electrochemical couple rather than the anodic branch of adsorbed ferritin. Control experiments including stirring the scan solution, electrochemical induction of iron release, and varying the scan rate strongly support the hypothesis that a dissolved iron species is released when ferritin is reduced, but its oxidized form adsorbs onto the SAM-modified electrode surface.     

Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance Study of FeS Particles Attached to Au Surface

Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) measurements were employed for studying of the redox processes of FeS microparticles immobilized on Au electrode surface in contact with aqueous solutions of NaCl, NaCl‐NaHCO₃, and NaCl‐Na₂S. The objective was to shed light on the complexity of the iron sulfide electrochemistry. For the sake of comparison electrochemical behavior of FeS suspension was also investigated on the paraffin‐impregnated graphite (PIGE) and hanging mercury drop (HMDE) electrodes. In order to understand the complex nature of the redox transformations of FeS, Mohr‐salt was dissolved in NaCl and NaCl‐NaHCO₃ solutions, respectively, and the deposition‐dissolution processes occurring in the course of the reduction of Fe(II) and reoxidation of Fe(0) were also monitored.     

Exploring three-dimensional nanosystems with Raman spectroscopy: methylene blue adsorbed on thiol and sulfur monolayers on gold

Resonant Raman and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopies, complemented with scanning tunnel microscopy and electrochemical techniques, have been used to obtain information about the amount and spatial distribution of methylene blue (MB) molecules immobilized on sulfur and four ultrathin molecular alkanethiolate films self-assembled on Au(111) and rough Au electrodes. The intensity of the Raman signals allow one to estimate the amount of immobilized MB at different organic films, whereas the decrease in the SERS intensity as a function of distance for the rough Au electrodes is used to locate the average position of the MB species with respect to the Au substrate. We found that significant amounts of cationic MB species are able to diffuse into methyl-terminated thiols, but they are stopped at the outer plane of the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) by negatively charged carboxylate groups. The relative shift of C-N stretching Raman modes indicates that the binding of MB to S is different from that found for MB on thiols. Most of the molecules immobilized on methyl- and carboxylate-terminated thiols are electrochemically inactive, suggesting that strong coupling between the Au electrode and the MB molecules is needed for charge transfer. Our results are consistent with a small population of electrochemically active MB species very close to the Au surface that reach this position driven by their lipophilic (hydrophobic) character through defects at SAMs.     

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and in situ UV‐vis spectroelectrochemistry studies of Poly(N‐vinyl carbazole)/ Polydimethylsiloxane composite electrodes

Poly(N‐vinyl carbazole)/polydimethylsiloxane (PNVCz/PDMS) composite electrodes were prepared by electrochemical polymerization of NVCz monomer onto PDMS‐coated platinum (Pt) and glassy carbon (GC) electrode surfaces to investigate the influence of the insulating constituent, PDMS and process temperature on the capacitive performance of the coated layers. The electrochemical properties of the bilayer coatings were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and UV‐vis spectroelectrochemistry measurements. The low‐frequencies capacitance values of composite electrodes indicated that the capacitive behaviors of the composites decreased with increasing PDMS content (from 5.0 to 10.0; in wt/v%) in coating solutions at 25 °C, and with decreasing coating temperatures (from 25 °C to ? 15 °C) of PDMS and PNVCz and, more resist PDMS/PNVCz layers formed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fabrication of a novel glucose biosensor based on a highly electroactive polystyrene/polyaniline/Au nanocomposite

A novel nanocomposite with a core-shell structure containing polystyrene (PS), polyaniline (PANI), and Au nanoparticles (NPs) was synthesized. The nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Cyclic voltammetric experiments indicated that the nanocomposite had excellent redox ability in a wide range of pH values. The existence of Au NPs resulted in a higher electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite. As a model, glucose oxidase (GOD) was entrapped onto the nanocomposite-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and applied to construct a sensor. The immobilized GOD showed a pair of well-defined redox peaks and high catalytic activity for the oxidation of glucose.     

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of myoglobin immobilized on L-cysteine self-assembled gold electrode

Myoglobin (Mb) has been successfully immobilized on a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of L-cysteine (Cys) on a gold electrode, Au/Cys. The presence of a pair of well-defined and nearly reversible waves centered at ca. 0.086 V vs Ag/AgCl (pH 6.5) suggests that the native character of Mb heme Fe(III/II) redox couple has been obtained. The formal potential of Mb on Cys SAM exhibited pH-dependent variation in the pH range of 5-9 with a slope of 55 mV/pH, indicating that the electron transfer is accompanied by a single proton exchange. Thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of Mb adsorption processes on Au/Cys were studied by using voltammetric and quartz-crystal microbalance methods. The Au/Cys electrode with immobilized Mb exhibited electrocatalytic activity toward ascorbic acid (AA) oxidation with an overpotential decrease of over 400 mV and a linear dependence of current on the AA concentration from 0.5 to 5.0 mmol L(-1).     

Bioelectrocatalytic current based on direct heterogeneous electron transfer reaction of glucose oxidase adsorbed onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes synthesized on platinum electrode surfaces

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were synthesized on platinum plate electrodes by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The MWCNTs synthesized on the Pt plate (MWCNTs/Pt) electrode were immediately immersed into solutions of glucose oxidase (GOX) to immobilize these enzymes onto the MWCNTs/Pt electrode surfaces. After the GOX was immobilized onto the MWCNTs/Pt electrode, a well-defined catalytic oxidation current was increased from ca. −0.45 V (vs. Ag/AgCl/saturated KCl), which was close to the redox potential of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) as a prosthetic group of GOX under physiological pH values.     

The influence of promoter and of electrode material on the cyclic voltammetry of Pisum sativum plastocyanin

The reversible cyclic voltammetry of pea plastocyanin (Pisum sativum) was studied with a wide range of electrodes: edge-oriented pyrolytic graphite (PGE), glassy carbon (GCE), gold (Au) and platinum (Pt) electrodes. Plastocyanin was coated onto the electrode surface by exploiting the electrostatic interaction between the negatively charged protein and a wide range of positively charged promoters. The effect of the redox response with an extended range of promoters, including poly-L-lysine, polymyxin B, neomycin, tobramycin, geneticin, spermine and spermidine, were included in this study. The resulting cyclic voltammograms reveal that the observed midpoint potential for plastocyanin can be shifted significantly depending on the choice of promoter. The stability of the negatively charged plastocyanin-promoter layer on an electrode was gauged by the rate of bulk diffusion of the protein from the immobilised film into the solution. Reversible cyclic voltammograms were obtained using edge-oriented pyrolytic graphite (PGE) and glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) with all promoters; however, platinum and gold electrodes were unable to sustain a defined redox response. The combination of pyrolytic graphite electrode/poly-L-lysine/plastocyanin was found to be the most stable combination, with a redox response which remained well defined in solution for more than 1 h at pH 7.0. The midpoint potentials obtained in this manner differed between the two graphite electrodes PGE and GCE using poly-L-lysine as the promoter. This effect was in addition to the expected pH dependence of the midpoint potential for plastocyanin and the results indicated that the pK(a) for plastocyanin on PGE was 4.94 compared to that on GCE of 4.66. It is concluded that both the electrode material and the nature of the promoter can influence the position of the redox potentials for proteins measured in vitro. This study extends the range of biogenic promoters used in combination with electrode materials. Thus, we can begin to develop a more comprehensive understanding of electrode-protein interactions and draw conclusions as to metalloprotein function, in vivo. To support these studies, we have sought information as to the nature of the electrode/promoter/protein interaction using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to study both the promoter and the plastocyanin protein on a gold surface.     

Size control for two-dimensional iron oxide nanodots derived from biological molecules

We demonstrated the fabrication of size-controlled two-dimensional iron oxide nanodots derived from the heat treatment of ferritin molecules self-immobilized on modified silicon surfaces. Ferritin molecules were immobilized onto 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (3-APMS)-modified silicon surfaces by electrostatic interactions between negatively charged amino acids of ferritin molecules and amino terminal functional groups of 3-APMS. Heat treatments were performed at 400 degrees C for 60 min to fabricate two-dimensional nanodots based on ferritin cores. XPS and FT-IR results clearly indicate that ferritin shells were composed of amino acids and 3-APMS modifiers on silicon surfaces were eliminated by heat treatment. Nanodots on substrate surfaces corresponded to iron oxides. The size of nanodots was tunable in the range of 0-5 (+/-0.75) nm by in situ reactions of iron ion chelators with ferritin molecules immobilized on substrates before heat treatment.     

阵列式对电极介电电泳芯片及其用于细胞分离富集研究

基于介电电泳原理, 设计并制作了一种新型的能够用于细胞分离和富集的微流控介电电泳芯片. 该芯片由沉积有金电极的石英基片和带有微管道的聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)盖片组成. 通过在管道底部布置间距不同的对电极阵列, 增大了正介电电泳力在管道中的有效作用范围, 能够在降低施加电压的同时, 实现对流动体系中细胞样品的捕获. 在3 V和3 MHz条件下, 该DEP芯片对人血红细胞的捕获效率达到83%; 进一步通过将肝癌细胞捕获在芯片电极上可实现对红细胞和肝癌细胞混合样品的分离, 在5 V和400 kHz条件下对肝癌细胞的捕获效率达到86%.