A Novel Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence (ECL) Sensor Based on Ru(bpy)32+‐Doped Titania Nanoparticles Dispersed in Nafion on Glassy Carbon Electrode

A novel electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor based on Ru(bpy)₃²⁺‐doped titania (RuDT) nanoparticles dispersed in a perfluorosulfonated ionomer (Nafion) on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was developed in this paper. The electroactive component‐Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ was entrapped within the titania nanoparticles by the inverse microemulsion polymerization process that produced spherical sensors in the size region of 38±3 nm. The RuDT nanoparticles were characterized by electrochemical, transmission electron and scanning microscopy technology. The Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ encapsulation interior of the titania nanoparticles maintains its ECL efficiency and also reduces Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ leaching from the titania matrix when immersed in water due to the electrostatic interaction. This is the first attempt to prepare the RuDT nanoparticles and extend the application of electroactive component‐doped nanoparticles into the field of ECL. Since a large amount of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ was immobilized three‐dimensionally on the electrode, the Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ ECL signal could be enhanced greatly, which finally resulted in the increased sensitivity. The ECL analytical performance of this ECL sensor for tripropylamine (TPA) was investigated in detail. This sensor shows a detection limit of 1 nmol/L for TPA. Furthermore, the present ECL sensor displays outstanding long‐term stability.     

Selective Electrochemical Determination of Uric Acid in the Presence of Ascorbic Acid Using a Carbon Paste Electrode Modified with β‐Cyclodextrin

Uric acid (UA) was determined in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA) by using a carbon paste electrode modified superficially by a β‐cyclodextrin film (CPE/β‐CD). The surface carbon paste electrode was prepared applying a 30 cycles potential program and using a 1 M HClO₄+0.01 M β‐CD electrolytic solution. The UA and AA solutions were used to evaluate the electrode selectivity and sensitivity by cyclic voltammetric and amperometric methods. In these experiments the detection limit for UA was (4.6±0.01)×10^?6 M and the RSD calculated from the amperometric curves was 10%. From the data obtained it was possible to quantify UA in the urine and saliva samples. Selective detection of UA was improved by formation of an inclusion complex between β‐CD and UA. The results show that the CPE/β‐CD is a good candidate due to its selectivity and sensitivity in the UA determination in complex samples like the biological fluids.     

Quenching Behavior of the Electrochemiluminescence of Ru(bpy)32+/TPrA System by Phenols on a Smartphone-Based Sensor

Phenolic compounds such as vanillic and p-coumaric acids are pollutants of major concern in the agro-industrial processing, thereby their effective detection in the industrial environment is essential to reduce exposure. Herein, we present the quenching effect of these compounds on the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of the Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/TPrA (TPrA=tri-n-propylamine) system at a disposable screen-printed carbon electrode. Transient ECL profiles are obtained from multiple video frames following 1.2 V application by a smartphone-based ECL sensor. A wide range of detection was achieved using the sensor with limit of detection of 0.26 μM and 0.68 μM for vanillic and p-coumaric acids, respectively. The estimated quenching constants determined that the quenching efficiency of vanillic acid is at least two-fold that of p-coumaric acid under the current detection conditions. The present ECL quenching approach provided an effective method to detect phenolic compounds using a low-cost, portable smartphone-based ECL sensor.     

Simultaneous Voltammetric Determination of Uric Acid and Ascorbic Acid Using a Carbon‐Paste Electrode Modified with Multi‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes/Nafion and Cobalt(II)nitrosalophen

A composition of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), Nafion and cobalt(II)‐5‐nitrosalophen (CoNSal) is applied for the modification of carbon‐paste electrode (CPE). The pretreated MWCNT is well dispersed in the alcoholic solution of Nafion under the ultrasonic agitation, and the resulted suspension is used as modifier (with 10% w/w) in the matrix of the paste electrode. The prepared electrode further modified by addition of 3 wt% of CoNSal. The resulted modified electrode is used as a sensitive voltammetric sensor for simultaneous determination of uric acid (UA) and ascorbic acid (AA). The electrode showed efficient electrocatalytic activity in lowering the anodic overpotentials and enhancement of the anodic currents. This electrode is able to completely resolve the voltammetric response of UA and AA. The effects of potential sweep rate and pH of the buffer solution on the response of the electrode, toward UA and AA, and the peak resolution is thoroughly investigated by cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry (CV and DPV). The best peak resolution for these compounds using the modified electrode is obtained in solutions with pH 4. The ΔE_p for UA and AA in these methods is about 315 mV, which is considerably better than previous reports for these compounds. A linear dynamic range of 1×10^?7 to 1×10^?4 M with a detection limit of 6×10^?8 M is resulted for UA in buffered solutions with pH 4.0. The voltammetric response characteristics for AA are obtained as, the linear range of 5×10^?7 to 1×10^?4 M with the detection limit of 1×10^?7 M. The voltammetric detection system was very stable and the reproducibility of the electrode response, based on the six measurements during one month, was less than 3.5% for the slope of the calibration curves of UA and AA. The prepared modified electrode is successfully applied for the determination of AA and UA in mixture samples and reasonable accuracies are resulted.     

Electrocatalytic and Simultaneous Determination of Ascorbic Acid,Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide and Folic Acid at Ruthenium(II) Complex‐ZnO/CNTs Nanocomposite Modified Carbon Paste Electrode

This paper describes the development a novel ruthenium(II) complex‐ZnO/CNTs modified carbon paste electrode (Ru(II)/ZnO/CNTs/CPE) for the electrocatalytic determination of ascorbic acid (AA). The objective of this novel electrode modification was to seek new electrochemical performances for the detection of AA, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and folic acid (FA). The peak potentials recorded were 170, 500 and 830 mV vs. Ag/AgCl/KCl_sat for AA, NADH and FA, respectively. The peak currents were linearly dependent on AA, NADH and FA concentrations using square wave voltammetry (SWV) method at the ranges of 0.008–251, 1.0–650, and 3.0–700 µmol L^?1, with detection limits of 0.005, 0.5, and 1.0 µmol L^?1, respectively.     

Supramolecular Assembly of β‐Cyclodextrin‐Capped Gold Nanoparticles on Ferrocene‐Functionalized ITO Surface for Enhanced Voltammetric Analysis of Ascorbic Acid

A supramolecular recognition functionalized electrode (βCD‐nanoAu/Fc‐ITO) which exhibits redox‐activity was prepared through supramolecular assembly of β‐cyclodextrin (βCD) capped gold nanoparticles (βCD‐nanoAu) on the ITO previously coated with a monolayer of ferrocene residues (Fc‐ITO). The immobilization of βCD‐nanoAu on Fc‐ITO was confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the supramolecular nature of the immobilization approach was also confirmed by cyclic voltammetry. On the other hand, the electrocatalytic activity of βCD‐nanoAu/Fc‐ITO electrode was also studied. The electrocatalytic activity toward ascorbic acid (AA) was enhanced compared with that at the Fc‐ITO electrode, and a linear relationship existed between the anodic peak and the concentration of AA in the range of 5.3×10^?5 to 3.0×10^?3 M with a detection limit (S/N=3) of 4.1×10^?6 M.     

A Study on the Electrochemical and Electrochemiluminescent Behavior of Homogentisic Acid at Carbon Electrodes

The electrochemical oxidation and electrochemiluminescent behavior of homogentisic acid (HGA) has been studied in aqueous solutions over a wide pH range by linear sweep voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry, chronocoulometry at a glassy carbon electrode, by controlled potential electrolysis at a large area spectroscopic graphite electrode, and by spectroelectrochemistry at an optically transparent drilled holes graphite (DHG) electrode in a thin‐layer cell. The studies reveal that the electrochemical oxidation of HGA at carbon electrodes is a reversible process involving two‐electron, two‐proton transfer. In addition to the electrochemical oxidation, the chemical oxidation of HGA by dissolved oxygen was investigated by spectroscopic method combined with voltammetry. It was revealed that HGA is fairly stable in strongly acidic media but readily oxidized by dissolved oxygen in alkaline media giving rise to 1,4‐benzoquinone‐2‐acetic acid, the same product as that of electrooxidation of HGA. This oxidation product is stable in acidic, neutral and weakly alkaline media, but can further degrade in strongly alkaline media yielding oxalate as the final product. The electrochemiluminescent mechanism of HGA in the presence of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ at a glassy carbon electrode was also investigated in detail, based on which a sensitive ECL method for determination of HGA was developed, and the detection limit was 3.0×10^?8 mol L^?1.     

Selective Detection of Uric Acid in the Presence of Ascorbic Acid and Dopamine Using Polymerized Luminol Film Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

Electrochemically polymerized luminol film on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface has been used as a sensor for selective detection of uric acid (UA) in the presence of ascorbic acid (AA) and dopamine (DA). Cyclic voltammetry was used to evaluate the electrochemical properties of the poly(luminol) film modified electrode. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) have been used for surface characterizations. The bare GCE failed to distinguish the oxidation peaks of AA, DA and UA in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0), while the poly(luminol) modified electrode could separate them efficiently. In differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) measurements, the modified GCE could separate AA and DA signals from UA, allowing the selective determination of UA. Using DPV, the linear range (3.0×10^?5 to 1.0×10^?3 M) and the detection limit (2.0×10^?6 M) were estimated for measurement of UA in physiological condition. The applicability of the prepared electrode was demonstrated by measuring UA in human urine samples.     

Selective Voltammetric Detection of Uric Acid in the Presence of Ascorbic Acid at Well‐Aligned Carbon Nanotube Electrode

The voltammetric behaviors of uric acid (UA) and L ‐ascorbic acid (L ‐AA) were studied at well‐aligned carbon nanotube electrode. Compared to glassy carbon, carbon nanotube electrode catalyzes oxidation of UA and L ‐AA, reducing the overpotentials by about 0.028 V and 0.416 V, respectively. Based on its differential catalytic function toward the oxidation of UA and L ‐AA, the carbon nanotube electrode resolved the overlapping voltammetric response of UA and L ‐AA into two well‐defined voltammetric peaks in applying both cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), which can be used for a selective determination of UA in the presence of L ‐AA. The peak current obtained from DPV was linearly dependent on the UA concentration in the range of 0.2 μM to 80 μM with a correlation coefficient of 0.997. The detection limit (3δ) for UA was found to be 0.1 μM. Finally, the carbon nanotube electrode was successfully demonstrated as a electrochemical sensor to the determination of UA in human urine samples by simple dilution without further pretreatment.     

Voltammetric Determination of Hydroquinone using β‐Cyclodextrin/Poly(N‐Acetylaniline)/Carbon Nanotube Composite Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

Abstract

An electrochemical sensor for hydroquinone (HQ) using β‐cyclodextrin/poly(N‐acetylaniline)/carbon nanotube composite (β‐CD/PAA/MWNTs) modified glassy carbon electrode has been successfully developed. Based on the synergistic effect of MWNTs and conducting PAA polymer and the accumulation effect of β‐CD, the analytical response of the β‐CD/PAA/MWNTs film to the electrochemical behavior of HQ was better than that of a β‐CD/PAA film, a PAA/MWNTs film, a PAA film, or a bare glassy carbon (GC) electrode. Under the conditions chosen, the anodic currents increased linearly with HQ concentration from 1×10^?6 to 5×10^?3 mol l^?1 and the detection limit was 8×10^?7 mol l^?1. This electrochemical sensor showed excellent reproducibility, stability and recovery for the determination of HQ.     

Effects of Divalent Metal Ions on Electrochemiluminescence Sensor with Ru(bpy)32+ Immobilized in Eastman‐AQ Membrane

Different effects of divalent metal ions on electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensor with Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ immobilized in Eastman‐AQ membrane were investigated. Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Fe²⁺ can elevate the ECL of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/proline; while metal ions that underwent redox reactions on the electrode such as Mn²⁺ and Co²⁺ presented intensive quenching effects on Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ ECL. Also, the quenching effect of Mn²⁺ on the ECL sensor with Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ immobilized in Eastman‐AQ membrane enhanced to about 30‐folds compared with the case that Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ was dissolved in phosphate buffer, and the enhanced quenching effects of Mn²⁺ were studied.     

Enhanced Electrochemiluminescence Performance of Ru(bpy)32+/CuO/TiO2 Nanotube Array Sensor for Detection of Amines

Tripropylamine (TPA) is a highly toxic and carcinogenic compound, therefore, TPA concentration in water must be monitored to protect health and the environment. In this paper, an electrochemiluminescent (ECL) sensor was fabricated by immobilising Ru(bpy)₃²⁺‐modified CuO nanoparticles (NPs) on a TiO₂ nanotube array (TN) electrode. Compared to an ECL sensor fabricated by immobilising Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ on a TN only electrode, the as‐prepared sensor displays a 30 % enhanced ECL signal and a detection limit of 9.6×10^?10 M at a signal‐to‐noise ratio=3 with the concentration of TPA in a range 1×10^?9 to 1×10^?5 M. The results from this study indicated a new approach for the enhancement of performance of ECL sensor in detecting TPA in water.     

Gold Nanoparticles‐β‐Cyclodextrin‐Chitosan‐Graphene Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode for Ultrasensitive Detection of Dopamine and Uric Acid

The nanocomposite (denoted as GR‐AuNPs‐CD‐CS) of graphene (GR), gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), chitosan (CS) and β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) was prepared to modify a glassy carbon electrode. The as‐modified electrode was explored for the ultrasensitive detection of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA). The modified electrode demonstrated linearly increased current response in the concentration range of 0.1–120 µm for DA and 0.05–70 µm for UA, with so far the best detection limit for DA and UA. Good stability and repeatability were further demonstrated for the as‐made sensor.     

Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence Sensor Based on Tris(2,2′‐bipyridine)ruthenium(II)‐Immobilized Natural Clay and Ionic Liquid

A novel electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor based on natural clay and ionic liquid was fabricated. Tris(2,2′‐bipyridine)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)₃²⁺) was immobilized on natural clay surface through simple adsorption. An ECL sensor was prepared by mixing Ru(bpy)₃²⁺‐incorporated clay, graphite powder and an ionic liquid (1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate) as the binder. The electrochemical behavior and ECL of the immobilized Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ was investigated. It was observed that the ECL of immobilized Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ was activated by the ionic liquid. The proposed ECL sensor showed high sensitivity to tri‐n‐propylamine (TPrA) and the detection limit was found to be 20 pM. In addition, the ECL sensor displayed good stability for TPrA detection and long‐term storage stability.     

Tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) electrogenerated chemiluminescence sensor based on carbon nantube dispersed in sol-gel-derived titania-Nafion composite films

A highly sensitive and stable tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)₃²⁺) electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor was developed based on carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersed in mesoporous composite films of sol-gel titania and perfluorosulfonated ionomer (Nafion). Single-wall (SWCNT) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) can be easily dispersed in the titania-Nafion composite solution. The hydrophobic CNT in the titania-Nafion composite films coated on a glassy carbon electrode certainly increased the amount of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ immobilized in the ECL sensor by adsorption of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ onto CNT surface, the electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of hydrophobic analytes, and the electronic conductivity of the composite films. Therefore, the present ECL sensor based on the CNT-titania-Nafion showed improved ECL sensitivity for tripropylamine (TPA) compared to the ECL sensors based on both titania-Nafion composite films without CNT and pure Nafion films. The present Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ ECL sensor based on the MWCNT-titania--Nafion composite gave a linear response (R² = 0.999) for TPA concentration from 50 nM to 1.0 mM with a remarkable detection limit (S/N = 3) of 10 nM while the ECL sensors based on titania-Nafion composite without MWCNT, pure Nafion films, and MWCNT-Nafion composite gave a detection limit of 0.1 μM, 1 μM, and 50 nM, respectively. The present ECL sensor showed outstanding long-term stability (no signal loss for 4 months).     

Selective Detection of Dopamine in Presence of Ascorbic Acid by Use of Glassy‐Carbon Electrode Modified with Amino‐β‐Cyclodextrin and Carbon Nanotubes

A glassy carbon electrode modified with per‐6‐amino‐β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CDNH₂) and functionalized single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT‐COOH) was elaborated. This structure was investigated for the detection of dopamine acid (DA) in presence of ascorbic acid (AA). The sensor behavior was studied by cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The analysis results show that the electrode modification with CD derivative improves the sensitivity and selectivity of the DA recognition; the electrochemical response was further improved by introduction of SWCNT‐COOH. The sensor shows good and reversible linear response toward DA within the concentration range of 7×10^?7–10^?4 M with a detection limit of 5×10^?7 M.     

Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence of Tris(2,2′‐bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) Immobilized in Humic Acid‐Silica‐Poly(vinyl alcohol) Composite Films

In this paper, we report the first attempt to use humic acid (HA) as modifiers to prepare the organic‐inorganic hybrid modified glassy carbon electrodes based on HA‐silica‐PVA (poly(vinyl alcohol)) sol‐gel composite. Electroactive species of tris(2,2′‐bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy) ) can easily incorporate into the HA‐silica‐PVA films to form Ru(bpy) modified electrodes. The amount of Ru(bpy) incorporated in the composite films strongly depends on the amount of HA in the hybrid sol. Electrochemical and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of Ru(bpy) immobilized in HA‐silica composite films coated on a glassy carbon electrode have been studied with tripropylamine (TPA) as the coreactant. The analytical performance of this modified electrode was evaluated in a flow injection analysis (FIA) system with a homemade flow cell. The as‐prepared electrode showed good stability and high sensitivity. The detection limits (S/N=3) were 0.050 μmol L^?1 for TPA and 0.20 μmol L^?1 for oxalate, and the linear ranges were from 0.10 μmol L^?1 to 1.0 mmol L^?1 for TPA and from 1.0 μmol L^?1 to 1.0 mmol L^?1 for oxalate, respectively. The resulting electrodes were stable over two months.     

Development of an Electrochemical Sensor to Detect Dopamine and Ascorbic Acid Based on Neodymium (III) Oxide and Chitosan

Neodymium (III) oxide (Nd_Ox) was dispersed in chitosan dissolution and deposited on a glassy carbon electrode (chitosan‐Nd_Ox/GCE). The surface properties of the chitosan‐Nd_Ox/GCE were evaluated with FeCN₆⁻³ solution using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The modified electrode was used in the determination of individual dopamine (DP) and ascorbic acid (AA) with square wave adsorptive voltammetry. Under optimal parameters (pH 4.0; accumulation time; t_ACC 60s and accumulation potential; E_ACC 0.10 V) for DP and (pH 3,0; t_ACC 60s and; E_ACC −0.20 V) for AA, anodic peak currents were proportional to the concentration of DP and AA between 0.90 and 17.0 μmolL⁻¹, with detection limit of 0.079 μmolL⁻¹ for DP and 0.12 μmolL⁻¹ for AA. The sensor was used in the determination of DP and AA in human urine samples and vitamin C tablets with consistent results. The new sensor is easy to develop. In addition, the sensitivity in particular for AA was improved compared with previous work.     

The Factors Affecting the Electrochemiluminescence of Tris(2,2′‐bipyridyl)Ruthenium(II)/Tertiary Amines

Factors affecting tris(2,2′‐bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)₃²⁺)/tertiary amine electrochemiluminescence (ECL) were investigated in the present work with several tertiary amines as coreactants. Some new phenomena different to those of traditional Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/tripropylamine were observed, such as the different responses of different coreactants to the hydrophobic nature of the working electrode and the ECL emission of triethanolamine at 0.85 V. The pK_a value (acid dissociation constant) for the deprotonation of tertiary amine group in the coreactant molecules and solubility of coreactants affect the ECL profiles vs. electrolyte pH. Moreover, the solubility of coreactants is also related to the ECL response to the addition of surfactants and electrode hydrophobic nature. Investigation of the effects of molecular structures indicated that molecules restricting the formation of the trigonal planar structure of the active radical in the electrooxidation procedure resulted in low ECL emission. The behaviors of hydroxyl and carboxylic group as substituents of α‐carbon are also totally different to the traditional opinions about the ECL from Ru(bpy)₃²⁺/tertiary amines.     

Study on Electrochemiluminesce of Ru(bpy3)2+ Immobilized in a Titania Sol‐Gel Membrane

The immobilization of tris(2,2′‐bipyridyl)ruthenium(II), Ru(bpy)₃²⁺, at a glassy carbon electrode was achieved by entrapping the Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ in a vapor deposited titania sol‐gel membrane. The electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of the immobilized Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ was studied. The Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ modified electrode showed a fast ECL response to both oxalate and proline. The ECL intensity was linearly related to concentrations of oxalate and proline over the ranges from 20 to 700 μmol L^?1 and 20 to 600 μmol L^?1, respectively. The detection limits for oxalate and proline at 3σ were 5.0 μmol L^?1 and 4.0 μmol L^?1, respectively. This electrode possessed good precision and stability for oxalate and proline determinations. The electrogenerated chemiluminescence mechanism of proline system was discussed. This work provided a new way for the immobilization of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ and the application of titania sol‐gel membrane in electrogenerated chemiluminescence.