Characterization of graphite electrodes modified with laccase from Trametes versicolor and their use for bioelectrochemical monitoring of phenolic compounds in flow injection analysis

Spectrographic graphite electrodes were modified through adsorption with laccase from Trametes versicolor. The laccase-modified graphite electrode was used as the working electrode in an amperometric flow-through cell for monitoring phenolic compounds in a single line flow injection system. The experimental conditions for bioelectrochemical determination of catechol were studied and optimized. The relative standard deviation of the biosensor for catechol (10 μM, n=12) was 1.0% and the reproducibility for six laccase-modified graphite electrodes, prepared and used different days was about 11%. The optimal conditions for the biosensor operation were: 0.1 M citrate buffer solution ( at pH 5.0), flow rate of 0.51 ml min⁻¹ and a working potential of −50 mV versus Ag|AgCl. At these conditions the responses of the biosensor for various phenolic compounds were recorded and the sensor characteristics were calculated and compared with those known for biosensors based on laccase from Coriolus hirsutus, cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium and horseradish peroxidase (HRP).     

Development of a tyrosinase biosensor based on gold nanoparticles-modified glassy carbon electrodes: Application to the measurement of a bioelectrochemical polyphenols index in wines

The preparation of a tyrosinase biosensor based on the immobilization of the enzyme onto a glassy carbon electrode modified with electrodeposited gold nanoparticles (Tyr-nAu-GCE) is reported. The enzyme immobilized by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde retains a high bioactivity on this electrode material. Under the optimized working variables (a Au electrodeposition potential of −200 mV for 60 s, an enzyme loading of 457 U, a detection potential of −0.10 V and a 0.1 mol l⁻¹ phosphate buffer solution of pH 7.4 as working medium) the biosensor exhibited a rapid response to the changes in the substrate concentration for all the phenolic compounds tested: phenol, catechol, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, gallic acid and protocatechualdehyde. A R.S.D. of 3.6% (n = 6) was obtained from the slope values of successive calibration plots for catechol with the same Tyr-nAu-GCE with no need to apply a cleaning procedure to the biosensor. The useful lifetime of one single biosensor was of at least 18 days, and a R.S.D. of 4.8% was obtained for the slope values of catechol calibration plots obtained with five different biosensors. The kinetic constants and the analytical characteristics were calculated for all the phenolic compounds tested. The Tyr-nAu-GCE was applied for the estimation of the phenolic compounds content in red and white wines. A good correlation of the results (r = 0.990) was found when they were plotted versus those obtained by using the spectrophotometric method involving the Folin-Ciocalteau reagent.     

Development of an enzymeless biosensor for the determination of phenolic compounds

The construction of amperometric enzymeless biosensors for phenolic compounds determination, using carbon paste electrode modified with copper phtalocyanine (CuPc) and histidine (His), based on the chemistry of the dopamine β-monooxygenase (DβM) enzyme that catalyzes the hydroxylation of the dopamine and its analogs is shown. The modified carbon paste was evaluated on electrodes constructed in two ways: putting the paste into a cavity of a rotating disk electrode and a platinum slide electrode fixed into a glass tube. The sensor in hydrodynamic conditions presented a linear response range between 30 and 250 μmol l⁻¹, with a sensitivity of 4.6±0.1 nA l μmol⁻¹ cm⁻² for catechol, response time of 3 s and lifetime of about 50 days when stored at room temperature. The sensor in static conditions showed a linear response range from 40 to 250 μmol l⁻¹, with a sensitivity of 0.30±0.01 nA l μmol⁻¹ cm⁻² for catechol. The sensors presented the following relative response order for dopamine and some analog species: catechol>dopamine>guaiacol>serotonin>phenol.     

Amperometric phenol biosensor based on sol-gel silicate/Nafion composite film

An amperometric biosensor based on tyrosinase immobilized in silicate/Nafion composite film has been developed for the determination of phenolic compounds. The Nafion polymer in the composite was used not only to overcome the brittleness of the pure sol-gel-derived silicate film but also to increase the long-term stability of the biosensor. Tyrosinase was immobilized by a thin film of silicate/Nafion composite on a glassy carbon electrode. Phenolic compounds were determined by the direct reduction of biocatalytically-liberated quinone species at −200 mV versus Ag/AgCl (3 M NaCl). The process parameters for the fabrication of the enzyme electrode and various experimental variables such as pH and operating potential were explored for optimum analytical performance of the enzyme electrode. The biosensor can reach 95% of steady-state current in about 15 s. The sensitivities of the biosensor for catechol and phenol were 200 and 46 mA/M, respectively. A detection limit of 0.35 mM catechol was obtained with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The enzyme electrode retained 74% of its initial activity after 2 weeks of storage in 50 mM phosphate buffer at pH 7.     

A sensitive mediator-free tyrosinase biosensor based on an inorganic-organic hybrid titania sol-gel matrix

A novel inorganic-organic hybrid titania sol-gel nanocomposite film was prepared to fabricate a sensitive tyrosinase biosensor for the amperometric detection of trace phenolic compounds without additional electron mediators. Acetylacetone worked as a complexing ligand to chelate with Ti atom in the synthesis process, and the pH of the titania solution could be adjusted to the value which was optimum for retaining tyrosinase activity and such a membrane was stably attached on to the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). This titania matrix could supply a good environment for enzyme loading, which resulted in a high sensitivity of 15.78 μA μM⁻¹ cm⁻² for monitoring phenols with a detection limit of 1×10⁻⁸ M at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The TiO₂ sol-gel derived biosensor exhibited a fast response less than 10 s and a good stability for more than 2 months.     

A novel amperometric biosensor for the detection of nitrophenol

We report on a novel amperometric biosensor for detecting phenolic compounds based on the co-immobilization of horseradish-peroxidase (HRP) and methylene blue (MB) with chitosan on Au-modified TiO₂ nanotube arrays. The titania nanotube arrays were directly grown on a Ti substrate using anodic oxidation first; a gold thin film was then coated onto the TiO₂ nanotubes by an argon plasma technique. The morphology and composition of the fabricated Au-modified TiO₂ nanotube arrays were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Cyclic voltammetry and amperometry were used to study the proposed electrochemical biosensor. The effect of pH, applied electrode potential and the concentration of H₂O₂ on the sensitivity of the biosensor have been systemically investigated. The performance of the proposed biosensor was tested using seven different phenolic compounds, showing very high sensitivity; in particular, the linearity of the biosensor for the detection of 3-nitrophenol was observed from 3 × 10⁻⁷ to 1.2 × 10⁻⁴ M with a detection limit of 9 × 10⁻⁸ M (based on the S/N = 3).     

Preparation and characterization of Prussian blue nanowire array and bioapplication for glucose biosensing

Prussian blue nanowire array (PBNWA) was prepared via electrochemical deposition with polycarbonate membrane template for effective modification of glassy carbon electrode. The PBNWA electrode thus obtained was demonstrated to have high-catalytic activity for the electrochemical reduction of hydrogen peroxide in neutral media. This enabled the PBNWA electrode to show rapid response to H₂O₂ at a low potential of −0.1 V over a wide range of concentrations from 1 × 10⁻⁷ M to 5 × 10⁻² M with a high sensitivity of 183 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻². Such a low-working potential also substantially improved the selectivity of the PBNWA electrode against most electroactive species such as ascorbic acid and uric acid in physiological media. A detection limit of 5 × 10⁻⁸ M was obtained using the PBNWA electrode for H₂O₂, which compared favorably with most electroanalysis procedures for H₂O₂. A biosensor toward glucose was then constructed with the PBNWA electrode as the basic electrode by crosslinking glucose oxidase (GOx). The glucose biosensor allowed rapid, selective and sensitive determination of glucose at −0.1 V. The amperometric response exhibited a linear correlation to glucose concentration through an expanded range from 2 × 10⁻⁶ M to 1 × 10⁻² M, and the response time and detection limit were determined to be 3 s and 1 μM, respectively.     

Electrochemical detection of phenolic compounds using cylindrical carbon-ink electrodes and microchip capillary electrophoresis

A simple method to fabricate cylindrical carbon electrodes for use in capillary electrophoresis (CE) microchips is described. The electrodes were fabricated using a metallic wire coated with carbon ink. Several experimental variables were studied in order to establish the best conditions to fabricate the electrode. Finally, the electrodes were integrated in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchip and used for the analysis of phenolic compounds. Using the optimum conditions, the analysis of a mixture of dopamine, epinephrine, catechol, and 4-aminophenol was achieved in less than 240 s, showing good linear responses (R² = 0.999) in the 0.1-190 μM range, and limits of detection (without the use of stacking or a decoupler) of 140 and 105 nM for dopamine and epinephrine, respectively.     

Enzymatic rotating biosensor for ciprofloxacin determination

The high sensitivity that can be attained using an enzymatic system and mediated by catechol has been verified by on-line interfacing of a rotating biosensor and continuous flow/stopped-flow/continuous-flow processing. Horseradish peroxidase, HRP [EC 1.11.1.7], immobilized on a rotating disk, in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, catalyzed the oxidation of catechol, whose back electrochemical reduction was detected on a glassy carbon electrode surface at −200 mV. Thus, when ciprofloxacin (CF) was added to the solution, this piperazine-containing compound participate in Michael addition reactions with catechol to form the corresponding piperazine-quinone derivatives, decreasing the peak current obtained, in proportion with the increase of its concentration. The highest response for CF was obtained around pH 7. This method could be used to determine CF concentration in the range of 0.02-65 μM (r = 0.999). The determination of CF concentration was possible with a detection limit of 0.4 nM, in the processing of as many as 25 samples per hour. Application of this analysis to different pharmaceutical samples containing CF supports the utility of the HRP-rotating biosensor.     

A sensitive choline biosensor with supramolecular architecture

A sensitive biosensor with supramolecular architecture was designed and implemented here to detect choline. Choline oxidase and horseradish peroxidase were assembled onto the polymer of thiolated β-cyclodextrin and platinum nanoparticles modified gold electrode through 1-adamantane carboxylic acid coupling. Square wave voltammetry showed that the reduction currents at 0.38 mV had a linear relationship with the logarithms of choline concentrations in the range of 10⁻⁹-10⁻² M, and the detection limit was down to 0.1 nM. Such biosensor also exhibited excellent selectivity, reproducibility and stability.     

A colloidal suspension of nanostructured poly(N-butyl benzimidazole)-graphene sheets with high oxidase yield for analytical glucose and choline detections

A colloidal suspension of nanostructured poly(N-butyl benzimidazole)-graphene sheets (PBBIns-Gs) was used to modify a gold electrode to form a three-dimensional PBBIns-Gs/Au electrode that was sensitive to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the presence of acetic acid (AcOH). The positively charged nanostructured poly(N-butyl benzimidazole) (PBBIns) separated the graphene sheets (Gs) and kept them suspended in an aqueous solution. Additionally, graphene sheets (Gs) formed “diaphragms” that intercalated Gs, which separated PBBIns to prevent tight packing and enhanced the surface area. The PBBIns-Gs/Au electrode exhibited superior sensitivity toward H₂O₂ relative to the PBBIns-modified Au (PBBIns/Au) electrode. Furthermore, a high yield of glucose oxidase (GOD) on the PBBIns-Gs of 52.3 mg GOD per 1 mg PBBIns-Gs was obtained from the electrostatic attraction between the positively charged PBBIns-Gs and negatively charged GOD. The non-destructive immobilization of GOD on the surface of the PBBIns-Gs (GOD-PBBIns-Gs) retained 91.5% and 39.2% of bioactivity, respectively, relative to free GOD for the colloidal suspension of the GOD-PBBIns-Gs and its modified Au (GOD-PBBIns-Gs/Au) electrode. Based on advantages including a negative working potential, high sensitivity toward H₂O₂, and non-destructive immobilization, the proposed glucose biosensor based on an GOD-PBBIns-Gs/Au electrode exhibited a fast response time (5.6 s), broad detection range (10 μM to 10 mM), high sensitivity (143.5 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻²) and selectivity, and excellent stability. Finally, a choline biosensor was developed by dipping a PBBIns-Gs/Au electrode into a choline oxidase (ChOx) solution for enzyme loading. The choline biosensor had a linear range of 0.1 μM to 0.83 mM, sensitivity of 494.9 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻², and detection limit of 0.02 μM. The results of glucose and choline measurement indicate that the PBBIns-Gs/Au electrode provides a useful platform for the development of oxidase-based biosensors.     

Study on the application of reduced graphene oxide and multiwall carbon nanotubes hybrid materials for simultaneous determination of catechol,hydroquinone, p-cresol and nitrite

In this paper, the reduced graphene oxide and multiwall carbon nanotubes hybrid materials (RGO–MWNTs) were prepared and a strategy for detecting environmental contaminations was proposed on the basis of RGO–MWNTs modified electrode. The hybrid materials were characterized by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and N₂ sorption–desorption isotherms. Due to the excellent catalytic activity, enhanced electrical conductivity and high surface area of the RGO–MWNTs, the simultaneous measurement of hydroquinone (HQ), catechol (CC), p-cresol (PC) and nitrite (NO₂⁻) with four well-separate peaks was achieved at the RGO–MWNTs modified electrode. The linear response ranges for HQ, CC, PC and NO₂⁻ were 8.0–391.0 μM, 5.5–540.0 μM, 5.0–430.0 μM and 75.0–6060.0 μM, correspondingly, and the detection limits (S/N = 3) were 2.6 μM, 1.8 μM, 1.6 μM and 25.0 μM, respectively. The outstanding film forming ability of RGO–MWNTs hybrid materials endowed the modified electrode enhanced stability. Furthermore, the fabricated sensor was applied for the simultaneous determination of HQ, CC, PC and NO₂⁻ in the river water sample.     

Nafion/2,2'-bipyridyl-modified bismuth film electrode for anodic stripping voltammetry

This paper describes the fabrication, characterisation and the application of a Nafion/2,2′-bipyridyl/bismuth composite film-coated glassy carbon electrode (NC(Bpy)BiFE) for the anodic stripping voltammetric determination of trace metal ions (Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺). The NC(Bpy)BiFE electrode is prepared by first applying a 2.5 mm³ drop of a coating solution containing 0.5 wt% Nafion and 0.1% (w/v) 2,2′-bipyridil (Bpy) onto the surface of a glassy carbon electrode, while the Bi film was plated in situ simultaneously with the target metal ions at −1.4 V. The main advantage of the polymer coated bismuth film electrode is that the sensitivity of the stripping responses is increased considerably due to the incorporation of the neutral chelating agent of 2,2′-bipyridyl (Bpy) in the Nafion film, while the Nafion coating improved the mechanical stability of the bismuth film and its resistance to the interference of surfactants. The key experimental parameters relevant to both the electrode fabrication and the voltammetric measurement were optimized on the basis of the stripping signals. With a 2 min deposition time in the presence of oxygen, linear calibration curves were obtained in a wide concentration range (about 2-0.001 μM) with detection limits of 8.6 nM (0.56 μg dm⁻³) for Zn²⁺, 1.1 nM (0.12 μg dm⁻³) for Cd²⁺ and 0.37 nM (0.077 μg dm⁻³) for Pb²⁺. For nine successive preconcentration/determination/electrode renewal experiments the standard deviations were between 3 and 5% at 1.2 μM for zinc and 0.3-0.3 μM concentration level for lead and cadmium, respectively, and the method exhibited excellent selectivity in the presence of the excess of several potential interfering metal ions. The analytical utility of the stripping voltammetric method elaborated was tested in the assay of heavy metals in some real samples and the method was validated by ICP-MS technique.     

Amperometric tyrosinase based biosensor using an electrogenerated polythiophene film as an entrapment support

An amperometric enzyme sensor using tyrosinase, also called polyphenol oxidase (PPO), was constructed for determination of phenolic compounds and herbicides. The enzyme was entrapped in a conducting polymer, poly 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDT), electrochemically generated on a glassy carbon electrode. Several experimental parameters in the electropolymerisation process and working conditions were determined to optimise biosensor performances. Mono-phenol and di-phenol were tested in oxygenated solutions, by amperometric measurements at −200 mV (vs. SCE) in a batch system. The limit of detection of these molecules ranges from 5 to 500 nM. Detection of herbicides was obtained from the inhibition of tyrosinase electrode responses. The limit of detection for atrazine and diuron was 1 and 0.5 mg l⁻¹ respectively. These data suggest that PEDT film is a promising PPO immobilisation method.     

Simultaneous identification of glucosinolates and phenolic compounds in a representative collection of vegetable Brassica rapa

Brassica raparapa group is widely distributed and consumed in northwestern Spain. The consumption of Brassica vegetables has been related to human health due to their phytochemicals, such as glucosinolates and phenolic compounds that induce a variety of physiological functions including antioxidant activity, enzymes regulation and apoptosis control and the cell cycle. For first time in Brassica crops, intact glucosinolates and phenolic compounds were simultaneously identified and characterized. Twelve intact glucosinolates, belonging to the three chemical classes, and more than 30 phenolic compounds were found in B. rapa leaves and young shoots (turnip greens and turnip tops) by LC–UV photodiode array detection (PAD)–electrospray ionization (ESI). The main naturally occurring phenolic compounds identified were flavonoids and derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acids. The majority of the flavonoids were kaempferol, quercetin and isorhamnetin glycosylated and acylated with different hydroxycinnamic acids. Quantification of the main compounds by HPLC-PAD showed significant differences for most of compounds between plant organs. Total glucosinolate content value was 26.84 μmol g⁻¹ dw for turnip greens and 29.11 μmol g⁻¹ dw for turnip tops; gluconapin being the predominant glucosinolate (23.2 μmol g⁻¹ dw). Phenolic compounds were higher in turnip greens 51.71 μmol g⁻¹ dw than in turnip tops 38.99 μmol g⁻¹ dw, in which flavonols were always the major compounds.     

Direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin and myoglobin at didodecyldimethylammonium bromide-modified powder microelectrode and application for electrochemical detection of nitric oxide

Hemoglobin (Hb) and myoglobin (Mb) were immobilized at the didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB)-modified powder microelectrode (PME) to fabricate Hb-DDAB-PME and Mb-DDAB-PME. Direct electrochemistry of Hb and Mb were achieved on the DDAB-modified PME. The formal potential was −0.224 V for Hb and −0.212 V for Mb (vs. SCE). The apparent surface concentration of Hb and Mb at the electrode surface was 2.83 × 10⁻⁸ and 9.94 × 10⁻⁸ mol cm⁻². The Hb-DDAB-PME and Mb-DDAB-PME were successfully applied for measurement of NO in vitro. The anodic current peaks for NO oxidation at +0.7 V and the cathodic current peaks for NO reduction at −0.85 V on the CV curves were obtained on the modified electrodes. For detection of NO at +0.7 V, the sensitivity is 3.31 mA μM⁻¹ cm⁻² for Hb-DDAB-PME and 0.6 mA μM⁻¹ cm⁻² for Mb-DDAB-PME. The detection limit is 5 nM for Hb-DDAB-PME and 9 nM for Mb-DDAB-PME. The linear response range is 9-100 and 28-330 nM for Hb- and Mb-modified PME, respectively. For the electrochemical detection of NO at −0.85 V by using Hb-DDAB-PME, the detection sensitivity is 39.56 μA μM⁻¹ cm⁻²; the detection limit is as low as 0.2 μM; and the linear response range is 1.90-28.08 μM.     

Amperometric choline biosensors prepared by layer-by-layer deposition of choline oxidase on the Prussian blue-modified platinum electrode

An amperometric choline biosensor was developed by immobilizing choline oxidase (ChOx) in a layer-by-layer (LBL) multilayer film on a platinum (Pt) electrode modified with Prussian blue (PB). 6-O-Ethoxytrimethylammoniochitosan chloride (EACC) was used to prepare the ChOx LBL films. The choline biosensor was used at 0.0 V versus Ag/AgCl to detect choline and exhibited good characteristics such as relative low detection limit (5 × 10⁻⁷ M), short response time (within 10 s), high sensitivity (88.6 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻²) and a good selectivity. The results were explained based on the ultrathin nature of the LBL films and the low operating potential that could be due to the efficient catalytic reduction of H₂O₂ by PB. In addition, the effects of pH, temperature and applied potential on the amperometric response of choline biosensor were evaluated. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant was found to be (0.083 ± 0.001) ×10⁻³ M. The biosensor showed excellent long-term storage stability, which originates from a strong adsorption of ChOx in the EACC multilayer film. When the present choline biosensor was applied to the analysis of phosphatidylcholine in serum samples, the measurement values agreed satisfactorily with those by a hospital method.     

In situ chemo-synthesized multi-wall carbon nanotube-conductive polyaniline nanocomposites: characterization and application for a glucose amperometric biosensor

A new glucose amperometric biosensor, based on electrodeposition of platinum nanoparticles onto the surface of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWNT)-polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites, and then immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOD) with covalent interaction and adsorption effect, was constructed in this paper. Firstly, the MWNT-PANI nanocomposites had been synthesized by in situ polymerization and were characterized through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and ultraviolet and visible (UV-vis) absorption spectra. The assembled process of the modified electrode was probed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Chronoamperometry was used to study the electrochemical performance of the resulting biosensor. The glucose biosensor exhibited a linear calibration curve over the range from 3.0 μM to 8.2 mM, with a detection limit of 1.0 μM and a high sensitivity of 16.1 μA mM⁻¹. The biosensor also showed a short response time (within 5 s). Furthermore, the reproducibility, stability and interferences of the biosensor were also investigated.     

Development of a sensitive and selective Riboflavin sensor based on carbon ionic liquid electrode

The electrochemical properties of Riboflavin adsorbed on carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE) were studied by cyclic voltammetry. A film with a surface coverage of up to 3.3 × 10⁻⁹ mol cm⁻² was formed after 10 min exposure time. Electron transfer coefficient and rate constant of electron transfer across the modified electrode were found to be 0.43 and 3.03 s⁻¹, respectively. Differential pulse voltammetry was used for the determination of Riboflavin. Two linear working ranges of 0.8-110 nM and 0.11-1.0 μM were obtained with correlation coefficients of 0.998 and 0.996, respectively. The experimental detection limit was obtained as 0.1 nM. The relative standard deviation for five replicate analyses was 4.7%. Other soluble vitamins had no significant interferences and the electrode was used for the determination of Riboflavin in pharmaceutical products, nutrition and beverages.     

Oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes for quantitative determination of cationic surfactants in water samples using atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

A new biosensor for detection of phenols, based on tyrosinase immobilization with alumina sol-gel on Sonogel-Carbon transducer, has been developed. The electrode was prepared using high energy ultrasounds directly applied to the precursors. The alumina sol-gel provided a microenvironment for retaining the native structure and activity of the entrapped enzyme and a very low mass transport barrier to the enzyme substrates. Phenols are oxidized by tyrosinase biosensor to form a detectable product, which was determined at −300 mV vs. Ag/AgCl reference electrode. For phenol, the sensor exhibited a fast response which resulted from the porous structure and high enzyme loading of the sol-gel matrix. The linear range was from 5 × 10⁻⁷ M to 3 × 10⁻⁵ M, with a detection limit of 3 × 10⁻⁷ M. The stability of the biosensor was also evaluated.