Preparation and layer-by-layer self-assembly of positively charged multiwall carbon nanotubes

The report described a method of more stably dispersing oxidized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by forming complex with polycation and the layer-by-layer self-assembly behavior of the complex with polyanion was studied. The properties of the self-assembled multilayer film containing carbon nanotubes were studied. Cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used for characterization of film assembly. UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry study indicated the uniform growth of the film. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results showed that incorporating of carbon nanotubes in the polyelectrolyte multilayers decreased in the electron-transfer resistance R_ct, indicating more favorable electrochemical reaction interface. The electrocatalytic property of the multilayer modified electrode to NADH was investigated mainly with different numbers of the bilayers and the results showed that along with the increase of the assembled bilayers the overpotential of NADH oxidation decreased. The detection limit could reach 6 μM at a detection potential of 0.4 V.     

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of hemoglobin immobilized in TiO2 nanotube films

Titanium oxide nanotubes (TiO₂-NTs) synthesized by the hydrothermal method had been prepared as the co-immobilization matrix to incorporate hemoglobin (Hb) successfully. The nanostructures of TiO₂-NTs were investigated by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopy. The Hb immobilized in TiO₂-NTs had a similar structure to the native of Hb and retained its near-native conformations as characterized by the UV–vis and FT-IR spectroscopy. A couple of quasi-reversible redox peaks with a formal potential of −0.34 V (vs. SCE) in 0.10 M pH 7.0 phosphate buffered saline (PBS) were observed. The amperometric response of the immobilized Hb linearly to H₂O₂ concentration ranged from 4 μM to 64 μM with a detection limit of 4.637 × 10⁻⁶ M and the high stability of the immobilized Hb in TiO₂-NTs constituted a promising platform for the development of biosensors.     

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

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

Direct electron transfer and electrocatalysis of hemoglobin in layer-by-layer films assembled with Al-MSU-S particles

In this paper, layer-by-layer (LBL) {MSU/Hb}(n)/PDDA films assembled by alternate adsorption of positively charged hemoglobin (Hb) and negatively charged mesoporous molecular sieves of Al-MSU-S onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) were reported. Al-MSU-S was synthesized by the precursor of zeolite Y and ionic liquids 1-hexadecane-3-methylimidazolium bromide (CMIMB) as a template in basic medium. It exhibited larger pore diameter, pore volume and surface area. Direct electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties of Hb in these layer-by-layer films were investigated. A pair of well-defined nearly reversible cyclic voltammetric peaks was observed and the formal potential of the heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple was found to be -0.295V (vs. SCE). The influences of layer's number and the pH of the external solution to the electron transfer behavior of Hb in {MSU/Hb}(n)/PDDA films were also estimated by cyclic voltammetry and a set of optimized conditions for film fabrication was inferred. The hemoglobin in{MSU/Hb}(n)/PDDA films displayed a good electrocatalytic activity to the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, which had linear current responses from 1.0 x 10(-6) to 1.86 x 10(-4)mol/L with the detection limit of 5.0 x 10(-7)mol/L (S/N=3). The apparent Michaeli-Menten constant (K(m)(app)) was 0.368 mmol/L. Thus, this methodology shows potential application of the preparation of third-generation biosensors.     

Direct electrochemistry and enzymatic activity of hemoglobin immobilized in ordered mesoporous titanium oxide matrix

The novel highly ordered mesoporous titanium oxide (mesoTiO₂) materials, prepared by the “acid–base pairs” route, were firstly used for the immobilization of hemoglobin (Hb) and its bioelectrochemical properties were studied. FTIR and UV–vis spectroscopy demonstrated that Hb in the mesoTiO₂ matrix could retain its native secondary structure. The CV results of Hb/mesoTiO₂-modified electrode showed a pair of well-defined and quasi-reversible redox peaks centered at approximate −0.158 V (vs. SCE) in pH 6.0 phosphate buffer solution. It reflects the characteristic of Hb heme Fe (III)/Fe(II) redox couple with fast heterogeneous electron transfer rate. The immobilized Hb also displayed its good electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. The results demonstrate that the mesoTiO₂ matrix may improve the protein loading with the retention of bioactivity and greatly promote the direct electron transfer, which can be attributed to its high specific surface area, uniform three-dimensional well-ordered porous structure, suitable pore size and biocompatibility.     

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of hemoglobin immobilized by methacrylic acid

The direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin (Hb) incorporated in methacrylic acid (MAA) film on a paraffin-impregnated graphite electrode (PIGE) was described. A pair of well-defined and quasi-reversible cyclic voltametric peaks are obtained. The formal potentials (E ^0′) linearly depend on the pH of solution, indicating that the electron transfer was proton-coupled. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectra showed that the secondary structure of Hb in the MAA film was similar to individual Hb. The immobilized Hb retained its biological activity well and exhibited a nice response to the reduction of both NO₂⁻, and H₂O₂, on the basis of which a new biosensor has been developed. Published in Russian in Elektrokhimiya, 2008, Vol. 44, No. 9, pp. 1079–1086. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin in layer-by-layer films with poly(vinyl sulfonate) grown on pyrolytic graphite electrodes

Stable layer-by-layer electroactive films were grown on pyrolytic graphite (PG) electrodes by alternate adsorption of layers of polyanionic poly(vinyl sulfonate) (PVS) and positively charged hemoglobin (Hb) from their aqueous solutions. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) of [PVS/Hb]n films showed a pair of well-defined and nearly reversible peaks at about - 0.28 V vs. SCE at pH 5.5, characteristic of Hb heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple. The process of (PVS/Hb) bilayer growth was monitored and confirmed by CV, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. While the amount of Hb adsorbed in each bilayer was the same, the amount of electroactive Hb in each bilayer decreased dramatically with increase of the number of bilayer, and electroactivity was just extended to 8 [PVS/Hb] bilayers. CVs of [PVS/Hb]8 films maintained stable in buffers containing no Hb. Positions of Soret band of Hb in [PVS/Hb]n films grown on transparent glass slides suggest that Hb in the films keeps its secondary structure similar to its native state in a wide pH range. Trichloroacetic acid and nitrite were catalytically reduced by [PVS/Hb]8 films with significant lowering of the electrode potential required.     

血红蛋白在海藻酸钠膜中的电化学和电催化行为

用海藻酸钠(SodiumAlginate,SA)将血红蛋白(Hb)固定在热裂解石墨电极表面,制备了Hb SA膜修饰电极。包埋在海藻酸钠膜中的血红蛋白与电极直接传递电子。在pH7.0的磷酸盐缓冲溶液中可得到一对可逆的血红蛋白辅基血红素Fe(Ⅲ) Fe(Ⅱ)电对氧化还原峰,式电势为-0.364V(vs.SCE)。其式电势随溶液pH值增加而负移且成线性关系,直线斜率为-36.0mV pH,说明血红蛋白的电子传递过程伴随有质子的转移。并研究了Hb SA膜修饰电极对O2、H2O2和NO的电催化性质。     

Direct electron transfer of hemoglobin on dihexadecyl hydrogen phosphate/single-wall carbon nanotubes film modified Au electrode and its interaction with taxol

Direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin (Hb) immobilized on the dihexadecyl hydrogen phosphate (DHP)/single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) film modified Au electrode is investigated. The immobilized Hb displays a couple of stable and well-defined redox peaks, whose formal potential (E ⁰) is −0.434 V (SCE) in a phosphate buffer solution of pH 7.0. The formal potential of the heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) couple shifts negatively linearly with increased pH with a slope of −42.3 mV/pH, denoting that one electron transfer accompanies single proton transportation. Both SWNTs and DHP can accelerate the electron transfer between Hb and the electrode. Using DHP/Hb/SWNTs-film-modified Au electrode, the interaction between Hb and taxol is investigated. The voltammetric response of Hb decreases with increasing concentration of taxol. The peak currents decreases proportionally to the taxol concentration at 1.4 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.3 × 10⁻⁴ M, the linear regression equation being Δi (A) = 2.9603 − 0.4225 c_taxol (M), with a correlation coefficient (r) 0.9985, and the detection limit 6.95 × 10⁻⁶ M (signal-to-noise ratio of three). Published in Russian in Elektrokhimiya, 2007, Vol. 43, No. 7, pp. 801–807. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

牛血红蛋白催化荧光光度法测定痕量过氧化氢

在1.0×10-4mol·L-1的H2SO4中,牛血红蛋白催化H2O2氧化苯甲酸生成羟基苯甲酸,羟基苯甲酸在碱性溶液中有强荧光,据此提出了一种测定痕量H2O2的方法。在激发波长295 nm与发射波长408 nm处,反应体系的荧光增加值ΔF与H2O2的浓度在7.880×10-8~1.182×10-4mol·L-1范围内存在良好的线性关系。线性回归方程为:ΔF=7.418×106c+9.742(c的单位为mol·L-1),相关系数r=0.9994。检出限为5.26×10-8mol·L-1。将方法用于雨水及消毒液中H2O2的测定,结果满意。     

Driving forces for layer-by-layer self-assembly of films of SiO2 nanoparticles and heme proteins

Heme protein hemoglobin (Hb) or myoglobin (Mb) and silica nanoparticles in a variety of charge states were assembled layer-by-layer into films on solid surfaces to investigate the driving forces for film assembly. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-vis and reflectance absorption infrared (RAIR) spectroscopy were used to characterize the different [SiO2/protein]n films. Even when the proteins and silica were both negatively charged, stable layer-by-layer [SiO2/protein]n films were successfully fabricated, although amounts of protein were smaller than when nanoparticles and proteins had opposite charges. Results suggest the importance of localized Coulombic attractions between the negative nanoparticle surface and positively charged amino acid residues on the Mb or Hb surfaces in the assembly and for the stability of [SiO2/protein]n films.     

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of hemoglobin immobilized in a magnetic nanoparticles-chitosan film

Magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄) were synthesized by a chemical coprecipitation method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to confirm the crystallite structure and the particle's radius. The Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and chitosan (CS) were mixed to form a matrix in which haemoglobin (Hb) can be immobilized for the fabrication of H₂O₂ biosensor. The Fe₃O₄-CS-Hb film exhibited a pair of well-defined and quasi-reversible cyclic voltammetric peaks due to the redox of Hb-heme Fe (III)/Fe (II) in a pH 7.0 phosphate buffer. The formal potential of Hb-heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) couple varied linearly with the increase of pH in the range of 4.0-10.0 with a slope of 46.5 mV pH⁻¹, indicating that electron transfer was accompanied with single proton transportation in the electrochemical reaction. The surface coverage of Hb immobilized on Fe₃O₄-CS film glassy carbon electrode was about 1.13 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol cm⁻². The heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k_s) was 1.04 s⁻¹, indicating great facilitation of the electron transfer between Hb and magnetic nanoparticles-chitosan modified electrode. The modified electrode showed excellent electrocatalytic activity toward oxygen and hydrogen peroxide reduction. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant for H₂O₂ was estimated to be 38.1 μmol L⁻¹.     

血红蛋白在二氧化铈修饰电极上的直接电化学

将二氧化铈(CeO₂)与酶复合修饰电极, 采用循环伏安法研究了血红蛋白(Hb)在CeO₂修饰的玻碳电极上的电化学行为. 实验表明, 固定在CeO₂材料上的Hb, 不仅能有效地与电极表面进行直接电子转移, 而且能够保持其生物催化活性. 制得的Nafion/CeO₂/Hb/GC修饰电极的电子传递速率k_s为(0.68±0.09) s^－1, 对H₂O₂的检测限为1.013 μmol•L^－1, 重现性和稳定性较好. CeO₂在实验中体现出一定的生物相容性, 起到了促进Hb与电极之间进行直接电子传递的作用. CeO₂修饰电极进行蛋白质直接电化学测定以及酶生物电催化的成功实践, 为稀土氧化物材料在电化学传感领域中的应用开辟了思路.     

纳米Au粒子作为直接硼氢化钠-过氧化氢燃料电池阴极催化剂

采用浸渍还原法制备了纳米Au/C, 并将其用作直接硼氢化钠-过氧化氢燃料电池阴极催化剂. 通过X-射线衍射(XRD)和透射电镜(TEM)对催化剂进行结构和形貌分析, 结果表明10～20 nm的纳米Au粒子均匀地分散在Vulcan XC-72R碳黑表面上. 循环伏安测试表明, 在0.5 mol•L－1 H2SO4和2 mol•L－1 H2O2混合溶液中, 纳米Au/C在0.85 V处表现较强的不可逆还原电流. 以纳米Au/C为阴极催化剂, AB5储氢合金为阳极催化剂制成直接硼氢化钠-过氧化氢燃料电池. 电池在30 ℃下的最大功率密度可达到78.6 mW•cm－2. 当电池工作温度升高至50 ℃时, 电池的最大功率密度超过120 mW•cm－2. 此外, 研究了阴极溶液中H2SO4和H2O2浓度对电池性能的影响. 当阴极溶液中H2SO4浓度小于0.5 mol•L－1时, 酸浓度对电池性能影响较大; H2O2浓度对电池性能影响较小. 确定了阴极溶液中H2SO4和H2O2的最佳浓度分别为0.5和2 mol•L－1.     

Preparation of Au/Ag multilayers via layer-by-layer self-assembly in spherical polyelectrolyte brushes and their catalytic activity

Spherical polyelectrolyte brushes(SPBs) consisting of polystyrene(PS) core and poly(2-aminoethyl methacrylate hydrochloride)(PAEMH) shell were prepared by photo-emulsion polymerization. Au nanoparticles(Au-NPs) with controlled size and size distribution were synthesized in situ using SPBs as nanoreactors. Via layer-by-layer deposition technique on the surface of SPBs, nano-composite particles with Au/Ag-NPs bilayer and Au/Ag/Au-NPs trilayer were prepared. The structures of the as-prepared Au/Ag multilayer SPBs were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, TEM, ICP-AES and DLS. The charge reversal of the nano-composite particles observed by zeta potential confirmed the success of layer-by-layer assembly. The Au/Ag-NPs bilayer nano-composite particles showed high catalytic efficiency with an apparent activation energy of about 41.2 k J/mol in the reduction reaction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol in the existence of sodium borohydride monitored. The catalytic activity of Au/Ag-NPs multilayer SPBs close to that of Au-NPs SPBs and much higher than that of Ag-NPs SPBs reveals its potential applications in cost-effective catalysts with high-performance.     

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of hemoglobin entrapped in composite matrix based on chitosan and CaCO3 nanoparticles

The direct electron transfer between hemoglobin (Hb) and the underlying glassy carbon electrode (GCE) can be readily achieved via a high biocompatible composite system based on biopolymer chitosan (CHT) and inorganic CaCO₃ nanoparticles (nano-CaCO₃). Cyclic voltammetry of Hb-CHT/nano-CaCO₃/GCE showed a pair of stable and quasi-reversible peaks for HbFe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple in pH 7.0 buffer. The electrochemical reaction of Hb immobilized in CHT/nano-CaCO₃ composite matrix exhibited a surface-controlled process accompanied by electron and proton transfer. The electron transfer rate constant was estimated to be 1.8 s⁻¹. This modified electrode showed a high thermal stability up to 60 °C. The apparent Michaelis–Menten constant was calculated to be 7.5 × 10⁻⁴ M, indicating a high catalytic activity of the immobilized Hb toward H₂O₂. The interaction between Hb and this nano-hybrid material was also investigated using FT-IR and UV–vis spectroscopy, indicating that Hb retained its native structure in this hybrid matrix.     

Direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin immobilized in CuO nanowire bundles

It is one of main challenges to find the suitable materials to enhance the direct electron transfer between the electrode and redox protein for direct electrochemistry field. Nano-structured metal oxides have attracted considerable interest because of unique properties, well biocompatibility, and good stability. In this paper, the copper oxide nanowire bundles (CuO NWBs) were prepared via a template route, and the bioelectrochemical performances of hemoglobin (Hb) on the CuO NWBs modified glass carbon electrodes (denoted as Hb-CuO NWBs/GC) were studied. TEM and XRD were used to characterize the morphology and structure of the as synthesized CuO NWBs. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) proved that Hb in the CuO NWBs matrix could retain its native secondary structure. A pair of well-defined and quasi-reversible redox peaks at approximately −0.325 V (vs. Ag/AgCl saturated KCl) were shown in the cyclic voltammogram curve for the Hb-CuO NWBs/GC electrode, which indicated the direct electrochemical behavior. The Hb-CuO NWBs/GC electrode also displayed a good electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. These results indicate that the CuO NWBs are good substrates for immobilization of biomolecules and might be promising in the fields of (bio) electrochemical analysis.     

Direct electrochemistry and enhanced electrocatalytic activity of hemoglobin entrapped in graphene and ZnO nanosphere composite film

A biocomposite film for sensing hydrogen peroxide (HP) is described that is based on nanospheres made from hemoglobin (Hb), graphene, and zinc oxide. The composition, morphology and size of the film were studied by transmission electron microscopy. UV-vis spectroscopy revealed that the Hb entrapped in the graphene and ZnO nanosphere retains its native structure. A pair of stable and well-defined quasi-reversible redox peaks of Hb was obtained, with a formal potential of ?30 mV at pH 6.5. Hb exhibits excellent long-term bioelectrocatalytic activity towards HP. The apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant is 1.0 s^?1, indicating that the presence of graphene in the composite film facilitates the electron transfer between matrix and the electroactive center of Hb. The sensor responds linearly to HP in the range from 1.8 μM to 2.3 mM, with a detection limit of 0.6 μM (at S/N?=?3). The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant is 1.46 mM. The biosensor displays high sensitivity, good reproducibility, and long-term stability.

Direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin and glucose oxidase in electrodeposited sol–gel silica thin films on glassy carbon

This work points out that electrogeneration of silica gel (SG) films on glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs) can be applied to immobilize biomolecules – hemoglobin (Hb) or glucose oxidase (GOD) or both of them in mixture – without preventing their activity. These proteins were physically entrapped in the sol–gel material in the course of the electro-assisted deposition process applied to form the thin films onto the electrode surface. SG films were prepared from a precursor solution by applying a suitable cathodic potential likely to induce a local pH increase at the electrode/solution interface, accelerating thereby polycondensation of the silica precursors with concomitant film formation. Successful immobilization of proteins was checked by various physico-chemical techniques. Both Hb and GOD were found to undergo direct electron transfer, as demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry. GCE–SG–Hb gave rise to well-defined peaks at potentials E_c = −0.29 V and E_a = −0.17 V in acetate buffer, corresponding to the Fe^III/Fe^II redox system of heme group of the protein, while GCE–SG–GOD was characterized by the typical signals of FAD group at E_c = −0.41 V and E_a = −0.33 V in phosphate buffer. These two redox processes were also evidenced on a single voltammogram when both Hb and GOD were present together in the same SG film. Hb entrapped in the silica thin film displayed an electrocatalytic behavior towards O₂ and H₂O₂ in solution, respectively in the mM and μM concentration ranges. Immobilized GOD kept its biocatalytic properties towards glucose. Combined use of these two proteins in mixture has proven to be promising for detection of glucose in solution via the electrochemical monitoring of oxygen consumption (decrease of the oxygen electrocatalytic signal).     

Direct electrochemistry of myoglobin in a layer-by-layer film on an ionic liquid modified electrode containing CeO2 nanoparticles and hyaluronic acid

We describe an ionic liquid modified electrode (CPE-IL) for sensing hydrogen peroxide (HP) that was modified by the layer-by-layer technique with myoglobin (Mb). In addition, the surface of the electrode was modified with CeO₂ nanoparticles (nano-CeO₂) and hyaluronic acid. UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopy confirmed that Mb retains its native structure in the composite film. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the nano-CeO₂ closely interact with Mb to form an inhomogeneously distributed film. Cyclic voltammetry reveals a pair of quasi-reversible redox peaks of Mb, with the cathodic peak at ?0.357?V and the anodic peak at ?0.269?V. The peak separation (??E _p) and the formal potential (E ^0??) are 88?mV and ?0.313?V (vs. Ag/AgCl), respectively. The Mb immobilized in the modified electrode displays an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards HP in the 0.6 to 78.0???M concentration range. The limit of detection is 50?nM (S/N?=?3), and then the Michaelis-Menten constant is 71.8???M. We believe that such a composite film has potential to further investigate other redox proteins and in the fabrication of third-generation biosensors.