An optical biosensor for dichlovos using stacked sol-gel films containing acetylcholinesterase and a lipophilic chromoionophore

An optical biosensor consisting of a chromoionophore (ETH5294) (CM) doped sol-gel film interfaced with another sol-gel film immobilized with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was employed to detect the insecticide dichlorvos. The main advantage of this optical biosensor is the use of a sol-gel layer with immobilized CM that possesses lipophilic property. The highly lipophilic nature of the CM and its compatibility with the sol-gel matrix has prevented leaching, which is frequently a problem in optical sensor construction based on pH indicator dyes. The immobilization of the indicator and enzyme was simple and need no chemical modification. The CM layer is pH sensitive and detects the pH changes of the acetylcholine chloride (AChCl) substrate when hydrolyzed by AChE layer deposited above. In the absence of the AChE layer, the pH response of the CM layer is linear from pH 6 to 8 (R² = 0.98, n = 3) and it showed no leaching of the lipophilic chromoionophore. When the AChE layer is deposited on top, the optical biosensor responds to AChCl with a linear dynamic range of 40-90 mM AChCl (R² = 0.984, n = 6). The response time of the biosensor is 12 min. Based on the optimum incubation time of 15 min, a linear calibration curve of dichlorvos against the percentage inhibition of AChE was obtained from 0.5 to 7 mg/L of dichlorvos (17-85% inhibition, R² = 0.991, n = 9). The detection limit for dichlorvos was 0.5 mg/L. The results of the analysis of 1.7-6.0 mg/L of dichlorvos using this optical biosensor agreed well with a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry detection method.     

Organophosphorus insecticides extraction and heterogeneous oxidation on column for analysis with an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) biosensor

This paper presents an analysis method for organophosphorus insecticides based on AChE biosensors coupled with a preconcentration and oxidation on a solid phase column. Three organic solvents, acetonitrile (ACN), ethanol and methanol were tested for their influence on AChE activity, insecticide inhibition and their ability to elute the adsorbed insecticides. Our results showed that ACN in a concentration of 5% (v/v) had the less negative effect on biosensor analysis and was the most appropriate organic solvent for the column elution. The presence of the organic solvent in the incubation media of the biosensor was found to induce a reduction of the inhibition percentages. The inhibition of the biosensors was performed in phosphate buffer with 5% (v/v) ACN, while the initial and remaining response of the biosensors were measured in PBS. In these conditions, the LODs of paraoxon and dichlorvos were measured with or without a preconcentration step. The LODs of the AChE biosensor without sample preconcentration were 8 × 10⁻⁸ M for paraoxon and 1 × 10⁻⁷ M dichlorvos and the LOD obtained after the preconcentration step were 2.5 × 10⁻⁸ M for paraoxon and 2.5 × 10⁻⁸ M for dichlorvos. Moreover, the use of the column allowed the heterogeneous oxidation of organophosphorus insecticides for improved LOD.     

Au掺杂Fe3O4纳米粒子酶传感器的制备及其应用于有机磷农药检测的研究

合成了金掺杂的四氧化三铁纳米粒子(Au-Fe₃O₄), 以壳聚糖为交联剂, 制备了电流型乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)生物传感器, 并将其应用于有机磷农药(OPs)的检测. 实验表明, Au-Fe₃O₄纳米粒子具有良好的生物兼容性, 能够有效地促进电子传递, 修饰了Au-Fe₃O₄纳米粒子的酶传感器, 响应速度快, 检测灵敏度高, 稳定性好; 固定在传感器上的乙酰胆碱酯酶有良好的酶动力学响应, 其表观米氏常数( )为10.3 mmol/L. 利用有机磷农药对乙酰胆碱酯酶的抑制作用, 以硫代乙酰胆碱(ATCh)为底物, 对有机磷农药敌敌畏进行了检测, 检测限达到4.0×10^－13 mol/L.     

Mesoporous silica hollow sphere (MSHS) for the bioelectrochemistry of horseradish peroxidase

In this work, novel mesoporous silica hollow spheres (MSHS) were chosen as an immobilization matrix, to construct a mediator-free third-generation HRP biosensor. UV-vis spectroscopy revealed that horseradish peroxidase (HRP) entrapped in MSHS could retain its native structure. FTIR spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms indicated that HRP are intercalated into the mesopores. The direct electron transfer of HRP entrapped in MSHS was observed. A pair of stable and well-defined redox peaks of HRP with a formal potential of about −0.150 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in 0.1 M pH 7.0 phosphate-buffered solution (PBS) were obtained. The biosensor exhibited a fast amperometric response to H₂O₂ with a linear range of 3.9 × 10⁻⁶ to 1.4 × 10⁻⁴ M (R = 0.997, N = 20). The detection limit was 1.2 × 10⁻⁶ M based S/N = 3.     

Alumina sol-gel/sonogel-carbon electrode based on acetylcholinesterase for detection of organophosphorus pesticides

Two new amperometric biosensors based on immobilization of acetylcholinesterase on a sonogel-carbon electrode for detection of organophosphorous compounds are proposed. The electrodes were prepared applying high-energy ultrasounds directly to the precursors. The first biosensor was obtained by simple entrapping acetylcholinesterase in Al₂O₃ sol-gel matrix on the sonogel-carbon. The second biosensor was produced in a sandwich configuration. Its preparation involved adsorption of the enzyme and modification via a polymeric membrane such as polyethylene glycol and the ion-exchanger Nafion. The optimal enzyme loading was found to be 0.7 mIU. Both biosensors showed optimal activity in 0.2 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, at an operating potential of 210 mV. The detection limit achieved for chlorpyriphos-ethyl-oxon was 2.5 × 10⁻¹⁰ M at a 10-min incubation time.     

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.     

Amperometric Biosensor Based on Immobilization Acetylcholinesterase on Manganese Porphyrin Nanoparticles for Detection of Trichlorfon with Flow‐Injection Analysis System

A highly sensitive amperometric biosensor for the detection of organophosphate pesticides (OPs) is developed. The biosensor was fabricated by immobilized acetylcholinesterase (AChE) on manganese (III) meso‐tetraphenylporphyrin (MnTPP) nanoparticles (NPs)‐modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode. The MnTPP NPs used in this article were synthesized by mixing solvent techniques. AChE enzyme was immobilized on the MnTPP NPs surface by conjugated with chitosan (CHIT). The electrocatalytic activity of MnTPP NPs led to a greatly improved performance for thiocholine (TCh) product detection. The developed AChE‐CHIT/MnTPPNP/GC biosensor integrated with a flow‐injection analysis (FIA) system was used to monitor trichlorfon (typical OP). A wide linear inhibition response for trichlorfon is observed in the range of 1.0 nM–1.0 mM, corresponding to 10–83% inhibition for AChE with a detection limit of 0.5 nM.     

A novel electrochemical biosensor based on the hemin-graphene nano-sheets and gold nano-particles hybrid film for the analysis of hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is an important analyte in biochemical, industrial and environmental systems. Therefore, development of novel rapid and sensitive analytical methods is useful. In this work, a hemin-graphene nano-sheets (H-GNs)/gold nano-particles (AuNPs) electrochemical biosensor for the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) was researched and developed; it was constructed by consecutive, selective modification of the GCE electrode. Performance of the H-GNs/AuNPs/GCE was investigated by chronoamperometry, and AFM measurements suggested that the graphene flakes thickness was ∼1.3 nm and that of H-GNs was ∼1.8 nm, which ultimately indicated that each hemin layer was ∼0.25 nm. This biosensor exhibited significantly better electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide in comparison with the simpler AuNPs/GCE and H-GNs/GCE; it also displayed a linear response for the reduction of H₂O₂ in the range of 0.3 μM to 1.8 mM with a detection limit of 0.11 μM (S N⁻¹ = 3), high sensitivity of 2774.8 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻², and a rapid response, which reached 95% of the steady state condition within 5 s. In addition, the biosensor was unaffected by many interfering substances, and was stable over time. Thus, it was demonstrated that this biosensor was potentially suitable for H₂O₂ analysis in many types of sample.     

Hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on hemoglobin modified zirconia nanoparticles-grafted collagen matrix

A novel method for the immobilization of hemoglobin (Hb) and preparation of reagentless biosensor was proposed using a biocompatible non-toxic zirconia enhanced grafted collagen tri-helix scaffold. The formed membrane was characterized with UV-vis and FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope and electrochemical methods. The Hb immobilized in the matrix showed excellent direct electrochemistry with an electron transfer rate constant of 6.46 s⁻¹ and electrocatalytic activity to the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant for H₂O₂ was 0.026 mM, showing good affinity. Based on the direct electrochemistry, a new biosensor for H₂O₂ ranging from 0.8 to 132 μM was constructed. Owing to the porous structure and high enzyme loading of the matrix the biosensor exhibited low limit of detection of 0.12 μM at 3σ, fast response less than 5 s and high sensitivity of 45.6 mA M⁻¹ cm⁻². The biosensor exhibited acceptable stability and reproducibility. ZrO₂-grafted collagen provided a good matrix for protein immobilization and biosensing preparation. This method was useful for monitoring H₂O₂ in practical samples with the satisfactory results.     

Enhancement of a conducting polymer-based biosensor using carbon nanotube-doped polyaniline

A biosensor with improved performance was developed through the immobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) onto electropolymerized polyaniline (PANI) films doped with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The effects of electropolymerization cycle and CNT concentration on the response of the biosensor toward H₂O₂ were investigated. It was found that the application of CNTs in the biosensor system could increase the amount and stability of the immobilized enzyme, and greatly enhanced the biosensor response. Compared with the biosensor without CNTs, the proposed biosensor exhibited enhanced stability and approximately eight-fold sensitivity. A linear range from 0.2 to 19 μM for the detection of H₂O₂ was observed for the proposed biosensor, with a detection limit of 68 nM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 and a response time of less than 5 s.     

High-pressure transitions in MgAl2O4 and a new high-pressure phase of Mg2Al2O5

Phase transitions in MgAl₂O₄ were examined at 21-27 GPa and 1400-2500 °C using a multianvil apparatus. A mixture of MgO and Al₂O₃ corundum that are high-pressure dissociation products of MgAl₂O₄ spinel combines into calcium-ferrite type MgAl₂O₄ at 26-27 GPa and 1400-2000 °C. At temperature above 2000 °C at pressure below 25.5 GPa, a mixture of Al₂O₃ corundum and a new phase with Mg₂Al₂O₅ composition is stable. The transition boundary between the two fields has a strongly negative pressure-temperature slope. Structure analysis and Rietveld refinement on the basis of the powder X-ray diffraction profile of the Mg₂Al₂O₅ phase indicated that the phase represented a new structure type with orthorhombic symmetry (Pbam), and the lattice parameters were determined as a=9.3710(6) Å, b=12.1952(6) Å, c=2.7916(2) Å, V=319.03(3) Å³, Z=4. The structure consists of edge-sharing and corner-sharing (Mg, Al)O₆ octahedra, and contains chains of edge-sharing octahedra running along the c-axis. A part of Mg atoms are accommodated in six-coordinated trigonal prism sites in tunnels surrounded by the chains of edge-sharing (Mg, Al)O₆ octahedra. The structure is related with that of ludwigite (Mg, Fe²⁺)₂(Fe³⁺, Al)(BO₃)O₂. The molar volume of the Mg₂Al₂O₅ phase is smaller by 0.18% than sum of molar volumes of 2MgO and Al₂O₃ corundum. High-pressure dissociation to the mixture of corundum-type phase and the phase with ludwigite-related structure has been found only in MgAl₂O₄ among various A²⁺B³⁺₂O₄ compounds.     

Nafion covered core–shell structured Fe3O4@graphene nanospheres modified electrode for highly selective detection of dopamine

Nafion covered core–shell structured Fe₃O₄@graphene nanospheres (GNs) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was successfully prepared and used for selective detection dopamine. Firstly, the characterizations of hydro-thermal synthesized Fe₃O₄@GNs were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. Then Fe₃O₄@GNs/Nafion modified electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidations of dopamine (DA). The interference test showed that the coexisted ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA) had no electrochemical interference toward DA. Under the optimum conditions, the broad linear relationship was obtained in the experimental concentration from 0.020 μM to 130.0 μM with the detection limit (S/N = 3) of 0.007 μM. Furthermore, the core–shell structured Fe₃O₄@GNs/Nafion/GCE was applied to the determination of DA in real samples and satisfactory results were got, which could provide a promising platform to develop excellent biosensor for detecting DA.     

A novel amperometric biosensor for the detection of nitrophenol

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

Bilayer lipid membrane biosensor with enhanced stability for amperometric determination of hydrogen peroxide

In this paper, a polydopamine (PDA) film is electropolymerized on the surface of bilayer lipid membrane (BLM) which is immobilized with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The coverage of the PDA film on HRP/BLM electrode is monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrocatalytic reduction of H₂O₂ at the PDA/HRP/BLM electrode is studied by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV). The biosensor has a fast response to H₂O₂ of less than 5 s and an excellent linear relationship is obtained in the concentration range from 2.5 × 10⁻⁷ to 3.1 × 10⁻³ mol L⁻¹, with a detection limit of 1.0 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ (S/N = 3). The response current of BLM/HRP/PDA biosensor retains 84% of its original response after being stored in 0.1 mol L⁻¹ pH 7.0 PBS at 4 °C for 3 weeks. The selectivity, repeatability, and storage stability of PDA/HRP/BLM biosensor are greatly enhanced by the coverage of polydopamine film on BLM.     

Amperometric biosensor for hydrogen peroxide based on coimmobilized horseradish peroxidase and methylene green in ormosils matrix with multiwalled carbon nanotubes

A novel amperometric biosensor for the analytical determination of hydrogen peroxide was developed. The fabrication of the biosensor was based on the coimmobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), methylene green (MG) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes within ormosils; 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMOS), 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyltrimethoxysilane (ETMOS) and phenyltrimethoxysilane (PHTMOS). APTMOS determined the hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of the ormosils and PHTMOS and ETMOS increased the physical and mechanical strength of the ormosil matrix. The ormosil modified electrodes were characterized with SEM, UV-vis spectroscopy and electrochemical methods. Cyclic voltammetry and amperometric measurements demonstrated the MG coimmobilized with HRP in this way, displayed good stability and could efficiently shuttle electrons between immobilized enzyme and electrode, and MWCNTs facilitated the electrocatalytic reduction of H₂O₂ at reduced over potential. The Micheaelis constant of the immobilized HRP was 1.8 mM, indicating a high affinity of the HRP to H₂O₂ without loss of enzymatic activity in ormosil matrix. The prepared biosensor had a fast response of H₂O₂, less than 10 s, and excellent linear range of concentration from 5 × 10⁻⁷ to 2 × 10⁻⁵ M with the detection limit of 0.5 μM (S/N = 3) under the optimum conditions. At the same time, the influence of solution pH, effect of enzyme amount, steady-state applied potential and temperature on the biosensor were investigated. The enzyme electrode retained about 90% of its initial activity after 30 days of storage in a dry state at 4 °C. The preparation of the developed biosensor was convenient and showed high sensitivity with good stability.     

Amperometric hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on the immobilization of heme proteins on gold nanoparticles-bacteria cellulose nanofibers nanocomposite

A novel matrix, gold nanoparticles-bacterial cellulose nanofibers (Au-BC) nanocomposite was developed for enzyme immobilization and biosensor fabrication due to its unique properties such as satisfying biocompatibility, good conductivity and extensive surface area, which were inherited from both gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and bacterial cellulose nanofibers (BC). Heme proteins such as horseradish peroxidase (HRP), hemoglobin (Hb) and myoglobin (Mb) were successfully immobilized on the surface of Au-BC nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The immobilized heme proteins showed electrocatalytic activities to the reduction of H₂O₂ in the presence of the mediator hydroquinone (HQ), which might be due to the fact that heme proteins retained the near-native secondary structures in the Au-BC nanocomposite which was proved by UV-vis and IR spectra. The response of the developed biosensor to H₂O₂ was related to the amount of AuNPs in Au-BC nanocomposite, indicating that the AuNPs in BC network played an important role in the biosensor performance. Under the optimum conditions, the biosensor based on HRP exhibited a fast amperometric response (within 1 s) to H₂O₂, a good linear response over a wide range of concentration from 0.3 μM to 1.00 mM, and a low detection limit of 0.1 μM based on S/N = 3. The high performance of the biosensor made Au-BC nanocomposite superior to other materials as immobilization matrix.     

The formation and physicochemical characterization of Al2O3-doped manganese ferrites

Mn/Fe mixed oxide solids doped with Al₂O₃ (0.32-1.27 wt.%) were prepared by impregnation of manganese nitrate with finely powdered ferric oxide, then treated with different amounts of aluminum nitrate. The obtained samples were calcined in air at 700-1000 °C for 6 h. The specific surface area (S_BET) and the catalytic activity of pure and doped precalcined at 700-1000 °C have been measured by using N₂ adsorption isotherms and CO oxidation by O₂. The structure and the phase changes were characterized by DTA and XRD techniques. The obtained results revealed that Mn₂O₃ interacted readily with Fe₂O₃ to produce well-crystallized manganese ferrite (MnFe₂O₄) at temperatures of 800 °C and above. The degree of propagation of this reaction increased by Al₂O₃-doping and also by increasing the heating temperature. The treatment with 1.27 wt.% Al₂O₃ followed by heating at 1000 °C resulted in complete conversion of Mn/Fe oxides into the corresponding ferrite phase. The catalytic activity and S_BET of pure and doped solids were found to decrease, by increasing both the calcination temperature and the amount of Al₂O₃ added, due to the enhanced formation of MnFe₂O₄ phase which is less reactive than the free oxides (Mn₂O₃ and Fe₂O₃). The activation energy of formation (ΔE) of MnFe₂O₄ was determined for pure and doped solids. The promotion effect of aluminum in formation of MnFe₂O₄ was attributed to an effective increase in the mobility of reacting cations.     

Fe2O3@Au core/shell nanoparticle-based electrochemical DNA biosensor for Escherichia coli detection

A Fe₂O₃@Au core/shell nanoparticle-based electrochemical DNA biosensor was developed for the amperometric detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli). Magnetic Fe₂O₃@Au nanoparticles were prepared by reducing HAuCl₄ on the surfaces of Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. This DNA biosensor is based on a sandwich detection strategy, which involves capture probe immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), target and reporter probe labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Once magnetic field was added, these sandwich complexes were magnetically separated and HRP confined at the surfaces of MNPs could catalyze the enzyme substrate and generate electrochemical signals. The biosensor could detect the concentrations upper than 0.01 pM DNA target and upper than 500 cfu/mL of E. coli without any nucleic acid amplification steps. The detection limit could be lowered to 5 cfu/mL of E. coli after 4.0 h of incubation.     

A luminol-based micro-flow-injection electrochemiluminescent system to determine reactive oxygen species

A flow injection analysis (FIA) system with electrochemiluminescent (ECL) detection has been established. Based on a specially designed flow-through ECL cell with a very simple structure, the system possesses rapid response and high sensitivity. With luminol as the ECL reagent, the response of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) was investigated on the developed FIA-ECL system. After optimizing the experimental conditions, such as the electric parameters, the buffer condition and the flow rate, it was demonstrated that the developed FIA-ECL system works well for quantified assays. Compared with reported works, the present results indicate that the developed FIA-ECL system has the lowest limit of detection (S/N = 3) of 3.0 × 10⁻⁹ mol/L for H₂O₂, which is equal to the level of chemiluminescence (CL). The developed system was successfully used to monitor the yield of reactive oxygen species (ROSs) in water vapour during the work of an ultrasonic humidifier with H₂O₂ as index. And the amount of ROSs in some other real samples, including tap water, drinking water and river water was detected with recoveries from 92.0% to 106%.     

Electrodeposition of gold nanoparticles on indium/tin oxide electrode for fabrication of a disposable hydrogen peroxide biosensor

A novel disposable third-generation hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) biosensor based on horseradish peroxidase (HRP) immobilized on the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) electrodeposited indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode is investigated. The AuNPs deposited on ITO electrode were characterized by UV-vis, SEM, and electrochemical methods. The AuNPs attached on the ITO electrode surface with quasi-spherical shape and the average size of diameters was about 25 nm with a quite symmetric distribution. The direct electron chemistry of HRP was realized, and the biosensor exhibited excellent performances for the reduction of H₂O₂. The amperometric response to H₂O₂ shows a linear relation in the range from 8.0 μmol L⁻¹ to 3.0 mmol L⁻¹ and a detection limit of 2 μmol L⁻¹ (S/N = 3). The value of HRP immobilized on the electrode surface was found to be 0.4 mmol L⁻¹. The biosensor indicates excellent reproducibility, high selectivity and long-term stability.