Controlling the direction of photocurrents by means of CdS nanoparticles and cytochrome c-mediated biocatalytic cascades

Cathodic or anodic photocurrents are generated by a monolayer of CdS nanoparticles in the presence of the oxidized or reduced states of cytochrome c, respectively, and the photocurrents are amplified by enzyme-generated biocatalytic cascades mediated by cytochrome c.     

Surface modifiers for the promotion of direct electrochemistry of cytochrome c

Fifty-four bifunctional organic compounds were studied to assess their ability to promote the direct electrochemistry of horse heart cytochrome c at a modified gold electrode. From the results of the survey it was possible to identify those features important for successful promotion of the electrochemical activity. It is suggested that it is necessary to provide groups on the electrode surface which can hydrogen bond or form salt bridges to the positively charged lysine side chain groups around the heme crevice on cytochrome c. The functional groups, Y, may be anionic or weakly basic and can be attached to the electrode using a bifunctional compound X ～ Y. The group, X, adsorbs or binds to the gold surface through nitrogen, phosphorus, or sulphur. A “pre-activation” step for the adsorption of some surface modifiers has been discovered. The molecular structure of a compound which promotes cytochrome c electrochemistry can be either conformationally rigid or flexible, aromatic or aliphatic, but it should direct Y out from the electrode. The length of the molecule does not appear to affect the rate of electron transfer. The presence of a hydrophobic zone in the structure is neither necessary nor sufficient for successful promotion of cytochrome c electrochemistry.     

Direct Electrochemistry of Cytochrome c on a Silica Sol‐Gel Film Modified Electrode

Dilute silica sol‐gel was simply dropped on the surface of a basal plane graphite electrode (BPGE) to form a silica sol‐gel film modified electrode. Direct electrochemical response of cytochrome c (Cyt c) on the modified electrode was observed by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results suggested that Cyt c could be tightly adsorbed on the surface of the silica sol‐gel film modified electrode. A couple of well‐defined and nearly reversible redox peaks can be observed in a phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0), which anodic and cathodic peak potentials were at ?0.243 and ?0.306 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), respectively. Cyt c adsorbed on the surface of silica sol‐gel film shows a remarkable electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of oxygen. Based on these, a third‐generation biosensor could be constructed to detect the concentration of oxygen in aqueous solution.     

SOME RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT AND HEME-PROTEIN-INDUCED PEROXIDATIVE LIPID BREAKDOWN IN LIPOSOMES, AS REFLECTED BY FLUORESCENCE CHANGES: THE EFFECT OF NEGATIVE SURFACE CHARGE

Abstract— The water soluble, photolabile nitrene precursor,azidonaphthalene–2,7-disulfonic acid (ANDS) was encapsulated in small unilamellar, isoelectric (egg PC) or negatively charged (egg PC + dihexadecylphosphate) liposomes. The individual and combined effects of heme-proteins and UV irradiation on the fluorescence of these vesicles under aerobic conditions were studied. Consistent with the catalytic action of heme-proteins on lipid peroxidation and peroxide decomposition, addition of cytochrome c (positively charged) or catalase (negatively charged) to the vesicles elicited immediate formation of a fluorescence band at 470 nm, characteristic of Schiff bases that form from aldehyde byproducts of decomposing hydroperoxides. Ultraviolet irradiation of liposomes for 5 min caused no significant changes in the fluorescence spectrum, in spite of the radiolysis of ANDS inside the vesicles with consequent formation of nitrene radicals. When isoelectric vesicles were irradiated with UV light in the presence of cytochrome c or catalase, Schiff base formation was further increased by2–3 fold, which effect was not observed in the absence of internal ANDS, or in the presence of negative surface charge on the vesicles. These findings suggest that (a) UV irradiation, by itself, cannot trigger lipid decomposition even when it is assisted by photoproduced nitrene radicals, (b) there is a ternary synergism between UV light, heme-proteins and nitrene radicals in promoting peroxidative lipid breakdown, and (c) negative surface charge inhibits the above synergism, which effect is unlikely to be due to electrostatic interaction between the vesicles and the protein or the ANDS.     

铅电极在硫酸溶液中的光电化学行为

研究了铅电极在阳极氧化过程中光响应的产生机制。结果表明，Ｐｂ电极在光照氧化时存光活化过程，且光经过程须在电位高于０Ｖ时才能发生。采用现场测量光电压技术研究了Ｐｂ电极在硫酸溶液中的恒电流极化过程。     

Weak interactions and molecular recognition in systems involving electron transfer proteins

Electrostatic interactions and other weak interactions between amino acid side chains on protein surfaces play important roles in molecular recognition, and the mechanism of their intermolecular interactions has gained much interest. We established that charged peptides are useful for investigating the molecular recognition character of proteins and their molecular interaction induced structural changes. Positively charged lysine peptides competitively inhibited electron transfer from reduced cytochrome f (cyt f or cytochrome c (cyt c) to oxidized plastocyanin (PC), due to neutralization of the negatively charged site of PC by formation of PC-lysine peptide complexes. Lysine peptides also inhibited electron transfer from cyt c to cytochrome c peroxidase. Likewise, negatively charged aspartic acid peptides interacted with the positively charged sites of cytfand cyt c, and competitively inhibited electron transfer from reduced cytfor cyt c to oxidized PC and from [Fe(CN)6]4- to oxidized cyt c. Changes in the geometry and a shift to a higher redox potential of the active site Cu of PC on oligolysine binding were detected by spectroscopic and electrochemical measurements, owing to the absence of absorption in the visible region for lysine peptides. Structural and redox potential changes were also observed for cyt f and cyt c by interaction with aspartic acid peptides.     

SPECTRAL SENSITIZATION OF SnO2 THIN FILM ELECTRODE BY THE J-AGGREGATE OF CYANINE DYES IN MONOLAYERS

Arachidic acid monolayers containing 5,6,5',6'-dibenzo-I,I-diethyl-2,2'-cyanine chloride were prepared by the spreading method and deposited on the SnO₂ surface using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. The SnO₂ : dye assembly prepared in this manner was used as a photoelectrode of the conventional electrochemical cell. A distinct J-band was observed in the action spectra of sensitized anodic and cathodic photocurrents. Effects of calcium arachidate barriers inserted between dye layer and either SnO₂ electrode (inside barrier) or electrolyte solution (outside barrier) on the photocurrent were examined. Although the inside barrier was effective in decreasing both anodic and cathodic photocurrents, the outside barrier did not suppress cathodic photocurrent. The following mechanism involving a molecular exciton of the J-aggregate is proposed for the sensitized photocurrent. The anodic photocurrent is caused by hole trapping by some reducing agent and concomitant injection of the electron from molecular exciton to the conduction band of SnO₂. Extraction of conduction-band electron of SnO₂ by molecular exciton and supplying to some oxidizing agent such as dissolved oxygen are responsible for the cathodic photocurrent.     

PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL STUDY OF CHLOROPHYLL-a MULTILAYERS ON SnO2 ELECTRODE

Photoelectrochemical behaviour of Chl- a multilayers, built up on SnO₂ optically transparent electrode by means of the Langmuir technique, was investigated in an electrolyte solution with or without hydroquinone as a reducing agent. Quantum efficiencies of the anodic photocurrents in the presence of hydroquinone tended to decrease with increasing number of layers. In the electrolyte without hydroquinone, the cathodic photocurrents were observed in the presence of dissolved oxygen. A possibility of a reaction of water with the oxidized Chl- a is suggested.     

细胞色素c在纳米杂化膜修饰玻碳电极上的直接电化学

以多壁碳纳米管(MWNTs)修饰玻碳(GC)电极为基底,自组装金纳米粒子(AuNPs)及L-半胱氨酸(L-Cys)研制杂化膜修饰电极(L-Cys/AuNPs/MWNTs/GC).实验表明,该膜修饰电极在pH=7.0的KH2PO4-K2HPO4缓冲溶液中对细胞色素c(Cyt c)的直接电子转移反应具有良好的电催化作用,C...     

Photoelectrocatalytic degradation of 3-nitrophenol at surface of Ti/TiO2 electrode

The widely utilization of phenol and its derivatives such as 3-nitrophenol (3-NP) has led to the worldwide pollution in the environment. In this study, Ti/TiO₂ photoelectrode was prepared with anodic oxidation of Ti foil electrode and then the photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) degradation of 3-NP was performed via this electrode, comparing with photocatalytic (PC), electrooxidation and direct photolysis by ultraviolet light. A significant photoelectrochemical synergetic effect in 3-NP degradation was observed on the Ti/TiO₂ electrode and rate constant for the PEC process of Ti/TiO₂ electrode was about three times as high as its PC degradation process. 3-NP concentration monitoring was carried out with differential pulse voltammetry. Results showed that PEC degradation has highest effect on concentration decreasing of 3-NP at solution and degraded it about 38 %, while other processes degradation efficiencies were about 4, 7, and 12 % for electrooxidation, direct photolysis and photocatalytic degradation, respectively. Finally, effects of solution pH and applied potential on degradation efficiency were studied and results showed that optimum pH for degradation is equal 4.00 and optimum potential is 1.2 V vs. Ag|AgCl|KCl (3M) reference electrode.     

Electrochemical extraction of proteins by reverse micelle formation

The transfer of proteins by the anionic surfactant bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) at a polarized 1,2-dichloroethane/water (DCE/W) interface was investigated by means of ion-transfer voltammetry. When the tetrapentylammonium salt of AOT was added to the DCE phase, the facilitated transfer of certain proteins, including cytochrome c (Cyt c), ribonuclease A, and protamine, could be controlled electrochemically, and a well-defined anodic wave for the transfer was obtained. At low pH values (e.g., pH 3.4), the anodic wave was usually well-separated from the wave for the formation of protein-free (i.e., unfilled) reverse micelles. The anodic wave for the protein transfer was analyzed by applying the theory for facilitated transfer of ions by charged ligands and then supplying information regarding the number of AOT anions reacting with one protein molecule and the total charge carried by the protein transfer. However, controlled-potential electrolyses performed for the transfer of Cyt c, which is red, revealed that the protein-AOT complexes were unstable in DCE and liable to aggregate at the interface when the pH of the W phase was 3.4. At pH 7.0, when formation of unfilled reverse micelles occurred simultaneously, the protein-AOT complexes appeared to be stabilized, probably via fusion with unfilled reverse micelles.     

直流偏压对于在玻碳电极上双层类脂膜成膜过程的影响

应用循环伏安法和电化学阻抗谱研究了直流偏压对卵磷脂在玻碳电极表面自组装成膜过程及其结构的影响.实验发现:无论在正偏压还是负偏压条件下,卵磷脂在玻碳电极上均可组装成膜.施加正偏压时,由于玻碳电极表面所带的正电荷与卵磷脂端基之间的静电作用,使得卵磷脂在电极表面倾向于形成双层的类脂膜,并在0.4V偏压下电极阻抗达到最大值.继续增大电极正向偏压,s-BLM缺陷增加,以至趋于被击穿.提出了适宜的等效电路,并据此非线性拟合电极过程,求得部分阻抗的模型参数.研究发现:膜电容和电荷传递电阻呈现良好的互补效应.     

Direct electrochemical behavior of cytochrome c on DNA-modified glassy carbon electrode and its application to cytochrome c biosensor.

DNA was immobilized on glassy carbon electrodes to fabricate DNA-modified electrodes. The direct electron transfer of horse heart cytochrome c on DNA-modified glassy carbon electrode was achieved. A pair of well-defined redox peaks of cytochrome c appeared at Epc = -0.017 V and Epa = 0.009 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in 10 mM phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0) at a scan rate of 50 mV/s. The electron transfer coefficient (alpha) and the standard rate constant of the surface reaction (Ks) of cytochrome c on DNA-modified electrodes could be estimated to be 0.87 and 34.52 s(-1), respectively. The DNA-modified glassy carbon electrode could be applied to detect cytochrome c by means of differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The cathodic peak current was proportional to the quantity of cytochrome c in the range of 4.0 x 10(-6) M to 1.2 x 10(-5) M. The correlation coefficient is 0.996, and with the detection limit was 1.0 x 10(-6) M (three times the ratio of signal to noise, S/N = 3).     

FeFe]-hydrogenase-catalyzed H2 production in a photoelectrochemical biofuel cell

The Clostridium acetobutylicum [FeFe]-hydrogenase HydA has been investigated as a hydrogen production catalyst in a photoelectrochemical biofuel cell. Hydrogenase was adsorbed to pyrolytic graphite edge and carbon felt electrodes. Cyclic voltammograms of the immobilized hydrogenase films reveal cathodic proton reduction and anodic hydrogen oxidation, with a catalytic bias toward hydrogen evolution. When corrected for the electrochemically active surface area, the cathodic current densities are similar for both carbon electrodes, and approximately 40% of those obtained with a platinum electrode. The high surface area carbon felt/hydrogenase electrode was subsequently used as the cathode in a photoelectrochemical biofuel cell. Under illumination, this device is able to oxidize a biofuel substrate and reduce protons to hydrogen. Similar photocurrents and hydrogen production rates were observed in the photoelectrochemical biofuel cell using either hydrogenase or platinum cathodes.     

A conductive crosslinked graphene/cytochrome c networks for the electrochemical and biosensing study

The direct electrochemistry of catalytically active cytochrome C (Cyt c) adsorbed together with a 3-dimensional network of chemically synthesized graphene on glassy carbon electrode has been readily obtained in aqueous phosphate buffer. Direct electrical communication between the redox center of Cyt c and the modified graphene-based electrode was established. The modified electrode was employed as a high-performance hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) biosensor. The Cyt c present in modified electrode exhibited a pair of quasi-reversible redox peaks with a midpoint potential of ?0.380 and ?0.2 V, cathodic and anodic, respectively. Investigations into the electrocatalytic activity of the modified electrode upon hydrogen peroxide exposure revealed a rapid amperometric response (5 s). Under optimized conditions, the linear range of response to H₂O₂ concentration ranged from 5 × 10^?7 to 2 × 10^?4 M with a detection limit of 2 × 10^?7 M at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The stability, reproducibility, and selectivity of the proposed biosensor are discussed in relation to the morphology and composition of the modified electrode.     

羟乙芦丁在玻碳电极上的阳极微分脉冲伏安法测定

本文对羟乙芦丁在玻碳电极上的阳极微分脉冲安行为进行了研究，发现在Ｎａ２ＨＰＯ４溶液中（ｐＨ＝８．９５）于＋０．６４Ｖ（ｖｓ．Ａｇ／ＡｇＣｌ）左右产生一个良好的阳极氧化伏安峰，浓度在５～６０ｍｇ／Ｌ之间与峰电流呈线性关系，不需分离直接测定了片剂中的羟乙芦丁含量。电极反应为扩散速率控制的不可逆可程。     

细胞色素c在硒代胱氨酸修饰电极上的直接电化学

采用电化学和接触角实验方法研究了硒代胱氨酸自组装膜修饰金电极(SeCys SAMs/Au)和十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(CTAB)-硒代胱氨酸自组装复合膜修饰金电极(CTAB-SeCys SAMs/Au)的特性. 探讨了细胞色素c(Cyt c)在SeCys SAMs/Au电极和CTAB-SeCys SAMs/Au电极上的电化学行为. 实验证明SeCys可促进Cyt c在电极上的氧化还原反应, 加入CTAB后其与SeCys之间的协同作用可在Cyt c与电极之间形成一个开放的通道, 促进作用更加明显, 且在一定浓度范围内, 随CTAB浓度(1×10^-5-1×10^-4 mol·L^-1)的增大, Cyt c在CTAB-SeCys SAMs/Au电极上的氧化还原电流增大, 在接近临界胶束浓度处出现极大值. 在CTAB-SeCys SAMs/Au电极上Cyt c产生一对氧化还原峰, 其峰电位分别为0.305和0.235 V, 其电化学过程受扩散控制. 光谱实验证实SeCys对Cyt c电化学过程的促进作用是由于SeCys与Cyt c中赖氨酸残基的结合.     

A cationic β‐cyclodextrin as a dynamic coating for the separation of proteins in capillary electrophoresis

A cationic cyclodextrin was used as dynamic coating for the capillary electrophoresis of a model mixture of proteins (i.e., ubiquitin, α‐lactoglobulin, cytochrome‐c, and myoglobin) as positively charged species in a fused silica capillary. An interesting feature of the coating is that by simple adjustment of the concentration of cyclodextrin added into the background electrolyte, a neutral or positively charged surface, which was beneficial in preventing protein adsorption at the inner capillary wall surface, was obtained. This is the first demonstration of a dynamic coating that yielded a neutral surface for protein separations in capillary electrophoresis. Based on electro‐osmotic flow measurements, addition of 0.05 to 0.10 mg/mL quaternary β‐cyclodextrin in a low pH electrolyte resulted in a neutral or positive surface (undetectable to very slow anodic electro‐osmotic flow). The coating approach afforded the electrophoretic separation of the mixture of proteins at positive polarity with good repeatability and separation performance.     

Silicon nanotube array/gold electrode for direct electrochemistry of cytochrome c

The highly ordered Si nanotube (SiNT) arrays have been fabricated and demonstrated to be an attractive matrix to accommodate macromolecules, such as proteins, and exhibit facile direct electrochemistry of cytochrome c without any pretreatment. A pair of well-defined redox waves can be observed in the aqueous solution containing cytochrome c on this SiNT electrode using cyclic voltammetry. The peak separation (DeltaEp) between the anodic and the cathodic peaks is 63 mV at the sweep rate of 10 mV/s, and the peak current is proportional to the square root of the sweep rates, which indicates that the redox process is a quasi-reversible process. The experimental results show that the good biocompatibility and nanoscale hollow structure of the SiNT arrays can be applicable to preparing Si-based biosensors and protein characterizations.     

Enhanced photocurrent generation by photosynthetic bacterial reaction centers through molecular relays, light-harvesting complexes, and direct protein-gold interactions

The utilization of proteins as nanodevices for solar cells, bioelectronics, and sensors generally necessitates the transfer of electrons to or from a conducting material. Here we report on efforts to maximize photocurrent generation by bacterial photosynthetic reaction center pigment-protein complexes (RCs) interfaced with a metal electrode. The possibility of adhering RCs to a bare gold electrode was investigated with a view to minimizing the distance for electron tunneling between the protein-embedded electron-transfer cofactors and the metal surface. Substantial photocurrents were achieved despite the absence of coating layers on the electrode or engineered linkers to achieve the oriented deposition of RCs on the surface. Comparison with SAM-covered gold electrodes indicating enhanced photocurrent densities was achieved because of the absence of an insulating layer between the photoactive pigments and the metal. Utilizing RCs surrounded by light-harvesting 1 complex resulted in higher photocurrents, surprisingly not due to enhanced photoabsorption but likely due to better surface coverage of uniformly oriented RC-LH1 complexes and the presence of a tetraheme cytochrome that could act as a connecting wire. The introduction of cytochrome-c (cyt-c) as a molecular relay also produced increases in current, probably by intercalating between the adhered RCs or RC-LH1 complexes and the electrode to mediate electron transfer. Varying the order in which components were introduced to the electrode indicated that dynamic rearrangements of RCs and cyt-c occurred at the bare metal surface. An upper limit for current generation could not be detected within the range of the illumination power available, with the maximum current density achieved by RC-LH1 complexes being on the order of 25 μA/cm(2). High currents could be generated consecutively for several hours or days under ambient conditions.