Biosensor for chlorogenic acid based on an ionic liquid containing iridium nanoparticles and polyphenol oxidase

A biosensor based on the ionic liquid, 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate containing dispersed iridium nanoparticles (Ir-BMI.PF₆) and polyphenol oxidase was constructed. This enzyme was obtained from the sugar apple (Annona squamosa), immobilized in chitosan ionically crosslinked with oxalate. The biosensor was used for determination of chlorogenic acid by square wave voltammetry. The polyphenol oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of chlorogenic acid to the corresponding o-quinone, which is electrochemically reduced back to this substance at +0.25 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Under optimized operational conditions the chlorogenic acid concentration was linear in the range of 3.48 × 10⁻⁶ to 4.95 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 9.15 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹. The biosensor was applied in the determination of chlorogenic acid in organic and decaffeinated coffee and the results compared with those obtained using the capillary electrophoresis method. The recovery study for chlorogenic acid in these samples gave values of 93.2-105.7%.     

Mucin/carbopol matrix to immobilize oxalate oxidase in a urine oxalate amperometric biosensor

An enzymatic amperometric electrode with extended analytical range and improved stability for oxalate determination has been developed. Glutarlaldehyde/mucin/carbopol matrix was used for the crosslinking of the enzyme between polymeric membranes to form a classical laminate construction (sandwich) and compared with the glutaraldehyde/mucin/enzyme and glutaraldehyde/albumin/enzyme.The use of a sulphonated membrane as internal membrane allowed rejection of the most important electrooxidable urine interferents. The recovery assays were highly satisfactory. The wide linear response in the range 2-400 μM after 1/10 urine dilution (corresponding to 20-4000 μM) made it suitable for clinical range. High correlation with the standard spectrophotometric method was obtained (r² = 0.98, y = 0.89x, n = 25).     

Preparation and application of triangular silver nanoplates/chitosan composite in surface plasmon resonance biosensing

This paper reports the utilization of triangular silver nanoplates (TSNPs) to enhance the sensitivity of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor. TSNPs modified with 3-mercaptopropinic acid (MPA) were simply mixed with chitosan and glutaraldehyde to form TSNPs/chitosan composite. The composite was deposited on Au film as immobilization substrate for SPR biosensor. The novel structures of TSNPs are preserved against etching by MPA and chitosan polymer. Moreover, chitosan cross-linked by glutaraldehyde enables antibody to be immobilized on fabricated substrate directly via Schiff alkali reaction. In the optimized conditions, the resulting biosensor based on TSNPs/chitosan composite shows a satisfactory response to bovine IgG in the concentration range of 0.075–40.00 μg mL⁻¹. While the biosensor based on chitosan without TSNPs shows a response in the concentration range of 0.6–40 μg mL⁻¹ and the biosensor based on Au film shows a response in the concentration range of 2.5–40 μg mL⁻¹. The experiment results show that the sensitivity of SPR biosensor based on TSNPs/chitosan composite was significantly enhanced and the immobilization procedure of antibody was simplified.     

A novel amperometric biosensor based on spinach (Spinacia oleracea) tissue homogenate for urinary oxalate determination

In this study, a novel spinach (Spinacia oleracea) tissue homogenate-based biosensor for determination of oxalate in urine was developed. The biosensor was constructed by immobilizing tissue homogenate of spinach (S. oleracea) onto a high-sensitive teflon membrane of a dissolved oxygen (DO) probe. For the stability of the biosensor, general immobilization techniques were used to secure the spinach tissue homogenate in gelatin-glutaraldehyde cross-linking matrix. In the optimization and characterization studies, the amount of spinach tissue homogenate and gelatin, optimum pH, optimum temperature and thermal stability, interference effects, linear range and repeatability were investigated. A typical calibration curve for the sensor revealed a linear range of 1×10⁻⁵-10×10⁻⁵ M oxalate. In repeatability studies, variation coefficient (CV) was calculated as 1.8%. Of the various substrates tested, only oxalate was found to be specific, with a relative activity of 100%. The method was applied to the determination of oxalate in urine. The results showed that the method was applicable to oxalate determination in urine specifically and selectively.     

Enzyme inhibition-based biosensor for the electrochemical detection of microcystins in natural blooms of cyanobacteria

An electrochemical biosensor for the detection of microcystin has been developed based on the inhibition of the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) by this cyanobacterial toxin. The enzyme has been immobilised by entrapment using a poly(vinyl alcohol) azide-unit pendant water-soluble photopolymer (PVA-AWP). Electrode supports and immobilisation conditions have been optimised by colorimetric assays, the highest immobilisation yields being obtained with screen-printed graphite electrodes and the 1:2 PP2A:PVA ratio. Catechyl monophosphate (CMP), α-naphthyl phosphate (α-NP) and 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate (4-MUP) have been used as phosphorylated substrates to monitor the protein phosphatase activity by electrochemical methods, the former providing the highest chronoamperometric currents at appropriate working potentials (+450 mV versus Ag/AgCl). Incubation with standard microcystin solutions has demonstrated the inhibition of the immobilised enzyme, proportional to the toxin concentration. The standard inhibition curve has provided a 50% inhibition coefficient (IC₅₀) of 83 μg L⁻¹, a limit of detection (LOD; 35% inhibition) of 37 μg L⁻¹, and 100% inhibition at about 1000 μg L⁻¹. Real samples of cyanobacterial blooms from the Tarn River (Midi-Pyrénées, France) have been analysed using the developed amperometric biosensor and the toxin contents have been compared to those obtained by a conventional colorimetric protein phosphatase inhibition (PPI) assay and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results clearly justify the use of the developed amperometric biosensor as screening method for microcystin detection.     

Highly-sensitive cholesterol biosensor based on well-crystallized flower-shaped ZnO nanostructures

This paper reports the fabrication of highly-sensitive cholesterol biosensor based on cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) immobilization on well-crystallized flower-shaped ZnO structures composed of perfectly hexagonal-shaped ZnO nanorods grown by low-temperature simple solution process. The fabricated cholesterol biosensors reported a very high and reproducible sensitivity of 61.7 μA μM⁻¹ cm⁻² with a response time less than 5 s and detection limit (based on S/N ratio) of 0.012 μM. The biosensor exhibited a linear dynamic range from 1.0-15.0 μM and correlation coefficient of R = 0.9979. A lower value of apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (K_m^app), of 2.57 mM, exhibited a high affinity between the cholesterol and ChOx immobilized on flower-shaped ZnO structures. Moreover, the effect of pH on ChOx activity on the ZnO modified electrode has also been studied in the range of 5.0-9.0 which exhibited a best enzymatic activity at the pH range of 6.8-7.6. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in which such a very high-sensitivity and low detection limit has been achieved for the cholesterol biosensor by using ZnO nanostructures modified electrodes.     

Whole-cell Gluconobacter oxydans biosensor for 2-phenylethanol biooxidation monitoring

A microbial biosensor for 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) based on the bacteria Gluconobacter oxydans was developed and applied in monitoring of a biotechnological process. The cells of G. oxydans were immobilized within a disposable polyelectrolyte complex gel membrane consisting of sodium alginate, cellulose sulphate and poly(methylene-co-guanidine) attached onto a miniaturized Clark oxygen electrode, forming whole cell amperometric biosensor. Measured changes in oxygen concentration were proportional to changes in 2-PE concentration. The biosensor sensitivity was 864 nA mM⁻¹ (RSD = 6%), a detection limit of 1 μM, and the biosensor response towards 2-PE was linear in the range 0.02–0.70 mM. The biosensor preserved 93% of its initial sensitivity after 7 h of continuous operation and exhibited excellent storage stability with loss of only 6% of initial sensitivity within two months, when stored at 4 °C. The developed system was designed and successfully used for an off-line monitoring of whole course of 2-PE biooxidation process producing phenylacetic acid (PA) as industrially valuable aromatic compound. The biosensor measurement did not require the use of hazardous organic solvent. The biosensor response to 2-PE was not affected by interferences from PA and phenylacetaldehyde at concentrations present in real samples during the biotransformation and the results were in a very good agreement with those obtained via gas chromatography.     

A novel tyrosinase biosensor based on hydroxyapatite-chitosan nanocomposite for the detection of phenolic compounds

A novel tyrosinase biosensor based on hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nano-HA)-chitosan nanocomposite has been developed for the detection of phenolic compounds. The uniform and size controlled nano-HA was synthesized by hydrothermal method, and its morphological characterization was examined by transmission electron microscope (TEM). Tyrosinase was then immobilized on a nano-HA-chitosan nanocomposite-modified gold electrode. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry were used to characterize the sensing film. The prepared biosensor was applied to determine phenolic compounds by monitoring the reduction signal of the biocatalytically produced quinone species at −0.2 V (vs. saturated calomel electrode). The effects of the pH, temperature and applied potential on the biosensor performance were investigated, and experimental conditions were optimized. The biosensor exhibited a linear response to catechol over a wide concentration range from 10 nM to 7 μM, with a high sensitivity of 2.11 × 10³ μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻², and a limit of detection down to 5 nM (based on S/N = 3). The apparent Michaelis-Menten constants of the enzyme electrode were estimated to be 3.16, 1.31 and 3.52 μM for catechol, phenol and m-cresol, respectively. Moreover, the stability and reproducibility of this biosensor were evaluated with satisfactory results.     

An inhibition type amperometric biosensor based on tyrosinase enzyme for fluoride determination

In this study, a new biosensor based on the inhibition of tyrosinase for the determination of fluoride is described. To construct the biosensor tyrosinase was immobilized by using gelatine and cross-linking agent glutaraldehyde on a Clark type dissolved oxygen (DO) probe covered with a teflon membrane which is sensitive for oxygen. The phosphate buffer (50 mM, pH 7.0) at 30 °C were established as providing the optimum working conditions. The method is based on the measurement of the decreasing of dissolved oxygen level of the interval surface that related to fluoride concentration added into reaction medium in the presence of catechol. Inhibitor effect of fluoride results in decrease in dissolved oxygen concentration. The biosensor response depends linearly on fluoride concentration between 1.0 and 20 μM with a response time of 3 min.In the characterization studies of the biosensor some parameters such as reproducibility, substrate specificity and storage stability were carried out. From the experiments, the average value (x), Standard deviation (S.D) and coefficient of variation (C.V %) were found as 10.5 μM, ± 0.57 μM, 5.43%, respectively for 10 μM fluoride standard.     

Optimized multilayer oxalate biosensor

The optimization of a biosensor prepared by the immobilization of oxalate oxidase (OOX) with a cross-linking agent onto a multilayer inorganic/organic modified electrode, is presented. A very thin Prussian Blue (PB) film covered by a self-doped polyaniline (SPAN) layer acts as very sensitive amperometric sensor for the H₂O₂ formed by the enzymatic reaction. The electrode allows the very reliable and sensitive oxalate detection in the 0.08 to 0.45 mmol l⁻¹ concentration range. The observed sensitivity was 131.3 μA mmol⁻¹ cm⁻² at the operation potential of 0.05 V versus Ag/AgCl in a succinate buffer solution (pH=3.8). The bilayer Prussian blue/SPAN leads to a very stable, sensitive and selective system that not only minimizes the interference caused by ascorbic and uric acids but also forms a very adherent sensing film that allows repetitive successive determinations.     

Modification of polypyrrole nanowires array with platinum nanoparticles and glucose oxidase for fabrication of a novel glucose biosensor

A novel glucose biosensor, based on the modification of well-aligned polypyrrole nanowires array (PPyNWA) with Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) and subsequent surface adsorption of glucose oxidase (GOx), is described. The distinct differences in the electrochemical properties of PPyNWA–GOx, PPyNWA–PtNPs, and PPyNWA–PtNPs–GOx electrodes were revealed by cyclic voltammetry. In particular, the results obtained for PPyNWA–PtNPs–GOx biosensor showed evidence of direct electron transfer due mainly to modification with PtNPs. Optimum fabrication of the PPyNWA–PtNPs–GOx biosensor for both potentiometric and amperometric detection of glucose were achieved with 0.2 M pyrrole, applied current density of 0.1 mA cm⁻², polymerization time of 600 s, cyclic deposition of PtNPs from −200 mV to 200 mV, scan rate of 50 mV s⁻¹, and 20 cycles. A sensitivity of 40.5 mV/decade and a linear range of 10 μM to 1000 μM (R² = 0.9936) were achieved for potentiometric detection, while for amperometric detection a sensitivity of 34.7 μA cm⁻² mM⁻¹ at an applied potential of 700 mV and a linear range of 0.1–9 mM (R² = 0.9977) were achieved. In terms of achievable detection limit, potentiometric detection achieved 5.6 μM of glucose, while amperometric detection achieved 27.7 μM.     

Analysis of salicylic acid based on the fluorescence enhancement of the As(III)-salicylic acid system

A new, simple and sensitive spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of salicylic acid (λ_ex = 315 nm, λ_em = 408 nm) using As(III) as a sensitizing reagent has been investigated by measuring the increase of fluorescence intensity of salicylic acid due to the complexation of As(III)-salicylic acid in presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) 10⁻³ M. Under optimum conditions, a significant relationship was obtained between the fluorescence intensity and salicylic acid concentration. A linear calibration curve was obtained in the range 13.8-13812 μg l⁻¹ with product-moment correlation coefficient (R) 0.99985 and detection limit 4.2 μg l⁻¹. The R.S.D. is 2.35% (n = 5).The method was applied successfully to the determination of salicylic acid in human serum.     

Cytochrome c biosensor for determination of trace levels of cyanide and arsenic compounds

An electrochemical method based on a cytochrome c biosensor was developed, for the detection of selected arsenic and cyanide compounds. Boron doped diamond (BDD) electrode was used as a transducer, onto which cytochrome c was immobilised and used for direct determination of Prussian blue, potassium cyanide and arsenic trioxide. The sensitivity as calculated from cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV), for each analyte in phosphate buffer (pH = 7) was found to be in the range of (1.1–4.5) × 10⁻⁸ A μM⁻¹ and the detection limits ranged from 4.3 to 9.1 μM. The biosensor is therefore able to measure significantly lower than current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, for these types of analytes. The protein binding was monitored as a decrease in biosensor peak currents by SWV and as an increase in biosensor charge transfer resistance by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). EIS provided evidence that the electrocatalytic advantage of BDD electrode was not lost upon immobilisation of cytochrome c. The interfacial kinetics of the biosensor was modelled as equivalent electrical circuit based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data. UV–vis spectroscopy was used to confirm the binding of the protein in solution by monitoring the intensity of the soret bands and the Q bands. FTIR was used to characterise the protein in the immobilised state and to confirm that the protein was not denatured upon binding to the pre-treated bare BDD electrode. SNFTIR of cyt c immobilised at platinum electrode, was used to study the effect of oxidation state on the surface bond vibrations. The spherical morphology of the immobilised protein, which is typical of native cytochrome c, was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confirmed the immobilisation of the cytochrome c without denaturisation.     

A novel potentiometric biosensor for selective L-cysteine determination using L-cysteine-desulfhydrase producing Trichosporon jirovecii yeast cells coupled with sulfide electrode

Trichosporon jirovecii yeast cells are used for the first time as a source of l-cysteine desulfhydrase enzyme (EC 4.4.1.1) and incorporated in a biosensor for determining l-cysteine. The cells are grown under cadmium stress conditions to increase the expression level of the enzyme. The intact cells are immobilized on the membrane of a solid-state Ag₂S electrode to provide a simple l-cysteine responsive biosensor. Upon immersion of the sensor in l-cysteine containing solutions, l-cysteine undergoes enzymatic hydrolysis into pyruvate, ammonia and sulfide ion. The rate of sulfide ion formation is potentiometrically measured as a function of l-cysteine concentration. Under optimized conditions (phosphate buffer pH 7, temperature 37 ± 1 °C and actual weight of immobilized yeast cells 100 mg), a linear relationship between l-cysteine concentration and the initial rate of sulfide liberation (dE/dt) is obtained. The sensor response covers the concentration range of 0.2-150 mg L⁻¹ (1.7-1250 μmol L⁻¹) l-cysteine. Validation of the assay method according to the quality control/quality assurance standards (precision, accuracy, between-day variability, within-day reproducibility, range of measurements and lower limit of detection) reveals remarkable performance characteristics of the proposed biosensor. The sensor is satisfactorily utilized for determination of l-cysteine in some pharmaceutical formulations. The lower limit of detection is ∼1 μmol L⁻¹ and the accuracy and precision of the method are 97.5% and ±1.1%, respectively. Structurally similar sulfur containing compounds such as glutathione, cystine, methionine, and d-cysteine do no interfere.     

Prussian blue modified glassy carbon electrodes-study on operational stability and its application as a sucrose biosensor

Stabilisation of electrochemically deposited Prussian blue (PB) films on glassy carbon (GC) electrodes has been investigated and an enhancement in the stability of the PB films is reported if the electrodes are treated with tetrabutylammonium toluene-4-sulfonate (TTS) in the electrochemical activation step following the electrodeposition. A multi-enzyme PB based biosensor for sucrose detection was made in order to demonstrate that PB films can be coupled with an oxidase system. A tri-enzyme system, comprising glucose oxidase, mutarotase and invertase, was crosslinked with glutaraldehyde and bovine albumin serum on the PB modified glassy carbon electrode. The deposited PB operated as an electrocatalyst for electrochemical reduction of hydrogen peroxide, the final product of the enzyme reaction sequence. The electrochemical response was studied using flow injection analysis for the determination of sucrose, glucose and H₂O₂. The optimal concentrations of the immobilisation mixture was standardised as 8 U of glucose oxidase, 8 U of mutarotase, 16 U of invertase, 0.5% glutaraldehyde (0.025 μl) and 0.5% BSA (0.025 mg) in a final volume of 5 μl applied at the electrode surface (0.066 cm²). The biosensor exhibited a linear response for sucrose (4-800 μM), glucose (2-800 μM) and H₂O₂ (1-800 μM) and the detection limit was 4.5, 1.5 and 0.5 μM for sucrose, glucose and H₂O₂, respectively. The sample throughput was ca. 60 samples h⁻¹. An increase in the operational and storage stability of the sucrose biosensor was also noted when the PB modified electrodes were conditioned in phosphate buffer containing 0.05 M TTS during the preparation of the PB films.     

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.     

Free and sol-gel immobilized alkaline phosphatase-based biosensor for the determination of pesticides and inorganic compounds

Alkaline-phosphatase (ALP) catalyses the hydrolysis of 1-naphthyl phosphate to fluorescent 1-naphthol (λ_ex=346 nm, λ_em=463 nm). This enzymatic reaction was investigated in presence of inhibitors: organochlorine (tetradifon), carbamate (metham-sodium) and organophosphorus pesticides (fenitrothion), heavy metal (Ag⁺) and CN⁻. The fluorescent signal, which is inversely dependent on the inhibitor concentration, is related to the amount of the inhibitor. Detection limits between 4.1 μM for tetradifon and 91.2 μM for metham-sodium were found. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) was between 2.6 and 6.2%.Sol-gel matrices derived from tetramethyl orthosilicate were doped with ALP using microencapsulation. The response of the biosensor based ALP sol-gel encapsulated to 1-naphthyl phosphate was reproducible (R.S.D.=6.6%). Inhibition plots obtained for test pesticides (metham-sodium and tetradifon) display linear calibration in the ranges 194-774 μM and 3.5-28 μM, detection limits of 4.9 and 292.3 μM and R.S.D. of 3.9 and 7.3% for metham-sodium and tetradifon, respectively. The results show that the system is able to detect class compounds such as pesticides and inorganic compounds.     

Amperometric determination of bonded glucose with an MnO(2) and glucose oxidase bulk-modified screen-printed electrode using flow-injection analysis

A screen-printed amperometric biosensor based on carbon ink double bulk-modified with MnO₂ as a mediator and glucose oxidase as a biocomponent was investigated for its ability to serve as a detector for bonded glucose in different compounds, such as cellobiose, saccharose, (-)-4-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside, as well as in beer samples by flow-injection analysis (FIA). The biosensor could be operated under physiological conditions (0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.5) and exhibited good reproducibility and stability. Bonded glucose was released with glucosidase in solution, and the free glucose was detected with the modified screen-printed electrode (SPE). The release of glucose by the aid of glucosidase from cellobiose, saccharose and (-)-4-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside in solution showed that stoichiometric quantities of free glucose could be monitored in all three cases.The linear range of the amperometric response of the biosensor in the FIA-mode flow rate 0.2 mL min⁻¹, injection volume 0.25 mL, operation potential 0.48 V versus Ag/AgCl) extends from 11 to 13,900 μmol L⁻¹ glucose in free form. The limit of detection (3σ) is 1 μmol L⁻¹ glucose. A concentration of 100 μmol L⁻¹ yields a relative standard deviation of approximately 7% with five injections. These values correspond to the same concentrations of bonded glucose supposed that it is liberated quantitatively (incubation for 2 h with glucosidase).Bonded glucose could be determined in beer samples using the same assay. The results corresponded very well with the reference procedure.     

Microchip capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detector for precolumn enzymatic analysis of glucose, creatinine, uric acid and ascorbic acid in urine and serum

An integrated multiple-enzymatic assay was performed on a (microchip capillary electrophoresis) μCE-EC chip capable of precise intake of sample or reagents in nanoliters. Incorporating multiple-enzyme assay into the μCE chip is relatively new—rendering simultaneous analysis of creatinine and uric acid a snap.Added to the list of merits in this study are the enhanced sensitivity down to 1 μM and a broader spectrum of analytes—inclusive of glucose for the long-time sufferers of diabetes. The performance was orchestrated to attain the claimed level: employing the end-channel electrode mode to tame the noises and the precolumn enzymatic reaction to stabilize the baseline. The 10 μm embedded Pt electrode, deposited at the end of the 30 μm wide separation channel, benefited chip fabrication besides noise reduction. The optimized conditions were 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.5), +1.5 kV separation voltage and +1.0 V detection potential (versus Ag/AgCl). The migration time was repeatable within the deviation of 0.5% R.S.D. (n=7), but the peak currents ranged from 1.5 to 2.2% R.S.D. The detection limits (S/N=3) ranged from 0.71 μM for ascorbic acid to 10 μM for glucose. The calibration curve was linear from 10 to 800 μM (R²>0.995). Glucose, creatinine, uric acid and ascorbic acid as model analytes, in pure form or in serum and urine samples, were tested to verify its feasibility.     

Sol-gel derived urease-based optical biosensor for the rapid determination of heavy metals

A urease optical biosensor for the determination of heavy metals based on sol-gel immobilization technique was developed. A fluorescent dye, FITC-dextran, was encapsulated and parameters including optical properties of the probe, relative enzyme activity, initial pH value and the buffer concentration for substrate preparation were investigated. In sol-gel immobilization, 1 mM Tris-HCl at pH 7.1 provided a sufficient buffer capacity for metal ion analysis as well as the enzyme activity maintenance. Also, two analytical procedures, incubated and un-incubated systems, were compared to understand the sensitivity and applicability to heavy metal analysis. The developed optical biosensor showed high reproducibility and the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of 5.1% (n=10) was obtained. Also, eight measurements can be completed automatically within 36 min. The biosensor has high sensitivity to Cu(II) and Cd(II) and an analytical range of 10-230 μM with a detection limit of 10 μM was achieved. Moreover, biological and environmental samples were examined to evaluate the applicability of the developed biosensor. A 19-82% of inhibition was observed when 20-45 μM metal ions were amended into tested samples, revealing that the developed system has the potential for the determination of heavy metals in real samples.