Modeling and simulation of the dynamic behavior of monoliths. Effects of pore structure from pore network model analysis and comparison with columns packed with porous spherical particles

A mathematical model is presented that could be used to describe the dynamic behavior, scale-up, and design of monoliths involving the adsorption of a solute of interest. The value of the pore diffusivity of the solute in the pores of the skeletons of the monolith is determined in an a priori manner by employing the pore network modeling theory of Meyers and Liapis [J. Chromatogr. A, 827 (1998) 197 and 852 (1999) 3]. The results clearly show that the pore diffusion coefficient, Dmp, of the solute depends on both the pore size distribution and the pore connectivity, nT, of the pores in the skeletons. It is shown that, for a given type of monolith, the film mass transfer coefficient, Kf, of the solute in the monolith could be determined from experiments based on Eq. (3) which was derived by Liapis [Math. Modelling Sci. Comput., 1 (1993) 397] from the fundamental physics. The mathematical model presented in this work is numerically solved in order to study the dynamic behavior of the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in a monolith having skeletons of radius r(o) = 0.75x10(-6) m and through-pores having diameters of 1.5x10(-6)-1.8x10(-6) m [H. Minakuchi et al., J. Chromatogr. A, 762 (1997) 135]. The breakthrough curves of the BSA obtained from the monolith were steeper than those from columns packed with porous spherical particles whose radii ranged from 2.50x10(-6) m to 15.00x10(-6) m. Furthermore, and most importantly, the dynamic adsorptive capacity of the monolith was always greater than that of the packed beds for all values of the superficial fluid velocity, Vtp. The results of this work indicate that since in monoliths the size of through-pores could be controlled independently from the size of the skeletons, then if one could construct monolith structures having (a) relatively large through-pores with high through-pore connectivity that can provide high flow-rates at low pressure drops and (b) small-sized skeletons with mesopores having an appropriate pore size distribution (mesopores having diameters that are relatively large when compared with the diameter of the diffusing solute) and high pore connectivity, nT, the following positive results, which are necessary for obtaining efficient separations, could be realized: (i) the value of the pore diffusion coefficient, Dmp, of the solute would be large, (ii) the diffusion path length in the skeletons would be short, (iii) the diffusion velocity, vD, would be high, and (iv) the diffusional response time, t(drt), would be small. Monoliths with such pore structures could provide more efficient separations with respect to (a) dynamic adsorptive capacity and (b) required pressure drop for a given flow-rate, than columns packed with porous particles.     

Catalytic and spectroscopic properties of cytochrome-c, horseradish peroxidase, and ascorbate oxidase embedded in a sol-gel silica matrix as a function of gelation time

In this study, we investigated the optical features of the redox metal-dependent proteins cytochrome-c, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), and ascorbate oxidase embedded in a sol-gel-processed silica matrix as a function of gelation time. Circular dichroism, absorbance, and fluorescence spectroscopies revealed that the sol-gel process affects the complex structure of the dimeric ascorbate oxidase (although the prosthetic coppers still remain bound to the enzyme) but not that of monomeric cytochrome-c and HRP. Any modifications in ascorbate oxidase occurred in the initial gelation phase; the drying process induced no further alterations and the enzyme remained stable for months. Unfolding-refolding experiments on cytochrome-c revealed severely restricted motility in the protein moiety in the xerogel, the concentrated matrix that forms after drying. The diffusion time of the solvent within the matrix, which regulated the enzyme-substrate reaction rate, depended on the thickness of the monolith, not on the dryness of the specimen.     

Modelling SPME data from kinetic measurements in complex samples

The kinetics of the partition process to solid phase microextraction fibres is often modelled using a stagnant layer model. Despite its usefulness, in some agitation systems such a model cannot be applied because the stagnant layer cannot be characterized precisely. Therefore, in this present study an alternative approach is introduced. Transport from the bulk medium to the fibre coating is simply modelled by a finite mass transfer coefficient instead of diffusion through a stagnant water layer surrounding the fibre. Intra-fibre transport is described by non-steady diffusion. The model is aimed at the analysis of SPME measurements in the kinetic phase for samples including a binding matrix. It was validated with experimental results of SPME measurements concerning the absorption kinetics of [(3)H]estradiol at different concentrations of bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a chemical binding matrix. The model provides excellent fits of the experimental data, resulting in an association constant (K(a)) of estradiol for BSA of 5.66 x 10(4) M(-1), which is similar to literature values and a fibre coating/bulk medium partition coefficient of 5.0 x 10(3). The kinetics of extraction were studied with the model, showing that the rate-limiting step in the extraction process was the diffusion in the fibre. This finding rules out the possibility that the presence of the matrix itself in the diffusion layer affects the kinetics of estradiol uptake into the SPME fibre.     

Oil-in-water emulsions as suitable working media for the direct polarographic determination of aziprotryne and desmetryne from its organic extracts in water samples

The electroanalytical behavior of the reduction of the herbicides aziprotryne (2-azido-4-isopropylamino-6-methylthio-1,3,5-triazine) and desmetryne (4-isopropylamino-6-methylamino-2-methylthio-1,3,5-triazine) in oil-in-water emulsions is reported. This medium allows the differential pulse polarographic determination of these s-triazines directly from their sample extracts in an appropriate organic solvent. Sodium pentanesulfonate was chosen as the most suitable surfactant to be used as emulsifying agent, whereas ethyl acetate was selected as the organic solvent to form the emulsions. The peak current was maximum in a 0.3 mol L(-1) HClO4 medium of the continuous aqueous phase for aziprotryne, and at pH 3.0 for desmetryne, and the potential became more negative as the pH increased for both herbicides. The limiting current is diffusion controlled and the electrode process is irreversible. Four electrons are involved in the overall electrochemical reduction process as determined by controlled potential coulometry, whereas the alpha n(a) values suggested that two electrons are involved in the rate-determining step. Using differential pulse polarography, aziprotryne and desmetryne can be determined in the emulsified medium over the concentration ranges 1.0 x 10(-7)-1.0 x 10(-4) mol L(-1), with limits of detection of 4.5 x 10(-8) mol L(-1) and 6.6 x 10(-8) mol L(-1), respectively. The method was applied to the determination of aziprotryne and desmetryne in spiked irrigation water. At concentration levels of 6.0 x 10(-7) mol L(-1) aziprotryne and 4.0 x 10(-7) mol L(-1) desmetryne, recoveries of 94 +/- 3% and 94 +/- 4%, respectively, were obtained after preconcentration on Sep-Pack C18 cartridges. Finally, partial least-squares regression (PLSR) has been used for treatment of the polarographic data obtained from mixtures of aziprotryne, desmetryne and simazine in oil-in-water emulsions. The size of the calibration set was of 29 samples by ninety two current measurements at different potentials. Prediction of the herbicides concentration within the range 1.0 x 10(-6)-1.0 x 10(-5) mol L(-1) was possible.     

Detection of duck hepatitis B virus DNA fragments using on-column intercalating dye labeling with capillary electrophoresis-laser-induced fluorescence.

A rapid on-column DNA labeling technique is used to detect viral restriction DNA fragments by capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence detection. Intercalating dyes such as POPO3 or ethidium homodimer-2 are incorporated into the detection buffer. The cationic dyes migrate into the capillary during electrophoresis and bind to the oppositely migrating DNA fragments. A post-column sheath-flow fluorescence detector is used in the experiment. Excellent labeling efficiency is achieved at minimal background fluorescence by diluting the dyes to between 1 x 10(-7) M and 5 x 10(-7) M in a buffer with low ionic strength relative to the running buffer within the capillary. This dilute sheath-flow buffer allows stacking of dye molecules inside the capillary when an electric field is applied. Calibration curves using a series of DNA size markers (between 72 and 1353 base pairs) were linear over an order of magnitude in DNA concentration. Sensitivity also increased linearly with fragment length, and detection limits ranged from 4 x 10(-14) M to 5 x 10(-13) M for the size-standards. Analysis of cloned viral DNA using duck hepatitis B virus demonstrated a concentration detection limit of 3.9 x 10(-16) M. Last, the technique produced very high separation efficiency, 14 x 10(6) theoretical plates which is greater than 47 x 10(6) plates m-1, for the duck hepatitis B viral genome.     

Rhodamine B diffusion in hair as a probe for structural integrity

The aim of this work was to investigate the diffusion of Rhodamine B into bleached, photo bleached and abraded hair, treated or not with an emulsion of ceramide using two different techniques: spectrophotometry and fluorescence optical microscopy with image analysis. This comparison, combined with the Einstein-Smoluchowski equation, allowed validating a methodology that uses the apparent diffusion coefficient of a dye as an index for hair damage. Distinct behaviors of the dye were observed in the cuticle and in the cortex. For a bleached hair sample the apparent diffusion coefficient in the cuticle ranges from 8.2 x 10(-11) cm2 s(-1) to 10 x 10(-11)cm2 s(-1), while for the cortex this value drops to 4.0 x 10(-11) cm2 s(-1) to 4.2 x 10(-11) cm2 s(-1). The diffusion is always faster in the cuticle than in the cortex and the apparent diffusion coefficient shows up to a seven-fold decrease when the dye penetrates the cortex. The chemical, photochemical and physical treatments applied to hair significantly change the values of the apparent diffusion coefficients in the cuticle. The data also proved that the penetration of Rhodamine B into hair occurs via an intercellular path.     

Incorporation of horseradish peroxidase in a Kieselguhr membrane and the application to a mediator-free hydrogen peroxide sensor.

Horseradish peroxidase was incorporated in a kieselguhr membrane. The electron-transfer process of the enzyme was examined by cyclic voltammetry. It was observed that the electron-transfer reactivity of horseradish peroxidase was greatly enhanced, and that direct electrochemistry was accordingly feasible. Using the merits of the direct electron-transfer reactivity of horseradish peroxidase and its specific enzymatic catalysis towards hydrogen peroxide, an unmediated hydrogen peroxide biosensor was constructed. The calibration plot of this hydrogen peroxide sensor was linear in the range of 2.0 x 10(-6) mol/L - 6.5 x 10(-4) mol/L. The relative standard deviation was 4.1% for 6 successive determinations at a concentration of 1.0 x 10(-4) mol/L. The detection limit was 1.0 x 10(-6) mol/L.     

Probing the molecular interaction of chymotrypsin with organophosphorus compounds by 31P diffusion NMR in aqueous solutions

In the present study, we applied for the first time (31)P diffusion NMR to resolve different species obtained by the addition of organophosphorus compounds (OP) such as diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP) or 1-pyrenebutyl phosphorodichloridate (PBPDC) to alpha-chymotrypsin (Cht). (31)P diffusion NMR was used since the products of these reactions constitute a mixture of OP-covalent conjugates of the enzyme and OP-containing hydrolysis products that have noninformative (1)H NMR spectra. It was shown that the peak, attributed to the covalent native diisopropylphosphoryl-Cht (DIP-Cht) conjugate by chemical shift considerations, has a greater diffusion coefficient (D = (0.65 +/- 0.01) x 10(-5) cm(2) s(-1)) than expected from its molecular mass (approximately 25 kDa). This peak was therefore suggested to consist of at least two superimposed signals of diisopropyl phosphoryl (DIP) pools of high and low molecular weights that happen to have the same chemical shift. This conclusion was substantiated by the use of DMSO-d(6) that separated the overlapping signals. Diffusion measurements performed on the extensively dialyzed and unfolded DIP-Cht conjugate still resulted in a high diffusion coefficient ((0.30 +/- 0.05) x 10(-5) cm(2) s(-1)) relative to the assumed molecular mass. This observation was attributed to a dynamic dealkylation at the OP moiety (i.e., aging) that occurred during the relatively long diffusion measurements, where DIP-Cht was converted to the corresponding monoisopropyl phosphoryl Cht (MIP-Cht) conjugate. Homogeneous aged forms of OP-Cht were obtained by use of DFP and heat-induced dealkylation of DIP-Cht, and by PBPDC that provided the aged form via the hydrolysis of a P-Cl bond (PBP-Cht). The thermally stable aged conjugates enabled a reliable determination of the diffusion coefficients over several days of data acquisition, and the values found were (0.052 +/- 0.002) x 10(-5) cm(2) s(-1) and (0.054 +/-0.004) x 10(-5) cm(2) s(-1) for the MIP-Cht and the PBP-Cht adducts, respectively, values in the range expected for a species with a molecular weight of 25 kDa. The advantages and limitations of (31)P diffusion NMR in corroborating the type of species that prevail in such systems are briefly discussed.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of DiI-C18(3) in a DPPC lipid bilayer

We performed a 40 ns simulation of 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI-C18(3)) in a 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidyl choline (DPPC) bilayer in order to facilitate interpretation of lipid dynamics and membrane structure from fluorescence lifetime, anisotropy, and fluorescence correlations spectroscopy (FCS). Incorporation of DiI of 1.6 to 3.2 mol% induced negligible changes in area per lipid but detectable increases in bilayer thickness, each of which are indicators of membrane structural perturbation. The DiI chromophore angle was 77 +/- 17 degrees with respect to the bilayer normal, consistent with rotational diffusion inferred from polarization studies. The DiI headgroup was located 0.63 nm below the lipid head group-water interface, a novel result in contrast to some popular cartoon representations of DiI but consistent with DiI's increase in quantum yield when incorporated into lipid bilayers. Importantly, the fast component of rotational anisotropy matched published experimental results demonstrating that sufficient free volume exists at the sub-interfacial region to support fast rotations. Simulations with non-charged DiI head groups exhibited DiI flip-flop, demonstrating that the positively-charged chromophore stabilizes the orientation and location of DiI in a single monolayer. DiI induced detectable changes in interfacial properties of water ordering, electrostatic potential, and changes in P-N vector orientation of DPPC lipids. The diffusion coefficient of DiI (9.7 +/- 0.02 x 10(-8) cm2 s(-1)) was similar to the diffusion of DPPC molecules (10.7 +/- 0.04 x 10(-8) cm2 s(-1)), supporting the conclusion that DiI dynamics reflect lipid dynamics. These results provide the first atomistic level insight into DiI dynamics, results essential in elucidating lipid dynamics through single molecule fluorescence studies.     

A simple light-emitted diode-induced fluorescence detector using optical fibers and a charged coupled device for direct and indirect capillary electrophoresis methods

We constructed a simple fluorescence detector for both direct and indirect CE methods using a blue light-emitted diode (470 nm) as excitation source, a bifurcated optical fiber as a waveguide, and a CCD camera as a detector. The connection of all the components is fairly easy even for nonexperts and the use of a CCD camera improves the applicability of this detector compared to the others using PMTs because it permits the recording of 2-D electropherograms or phosphorescence measurements. This detector provides a compact, low cost, and rapid system for the determination of native fluorescence compounds which have high quantum yields by CE with direct fluorescence detection, showing an LOD of 2.6 x 10(-6) M for fluorescein; the determination of fluorescence derivative compounds by CE with direct fluorescence detection, showing an LOD of 1.6 x 10(-7) M for FITC-labeled 1,6-diaminohexane; and nonfluorescence compounds by CE with indirect fluorescence detection with an LOD of 2.7 x 10(-6) M for gallic acid.     

A simplified enzyme-based fiber optic sensor for hydrogen peroxide and oxidase substrates

A simplified enzyme-based fiber optic sensor system has been developed for selective determination of hydrogen peroxide. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is immobilized on bovine albumin matrix with glutaraldehyde. A new fluorimetric substrate, thiamine is used to indicate the sensing process. Under optimized condition the measuring range of sensor is up to 1 x 10(-4)M hydrogen peroxide with a limit of detection of 5 x 10(-7)M in a 5 min response period. It can be easily incorporated in multienzyme sensors for biochemical substances which produce hydrogen peroxide under catalytic oxidation by their oxidase. This possibility has been tested for the determination of uric acid, D-amino acid, L-amino acid, glucose cholesterol, choline and acetylcholine, respectively, using a membrane with co-immobilized oxidase and horseradish peroxidase.     

Highly selective iodide-sensing silicone ladder polymer membranes containing a porphyrin and a quaternary ammonium salt.

It has been demonstrated that a glass-like silicone ladder-type polymer permits one to homogeneously incorporate high amounts of ionophores into the covalently-bonded double chain structure. Furthermore, by making use of this feature, we have successfully fabricated an iodide ion-sensitive field-effect transistor based on two kinds of ionophores and silicone ladder polymer matrix. As ionophores, 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphyrin and dimethyloctadecyl-3-trimethoxylsilylpropylammonium chloride were homogeneously incorporated into the matrix. The ion-sensitive field-effect transistor showed a linear potential response ranging in the I- concentration between 1.0 x 10(-5) and 1.0 x 10(-1) M. The selectivity coefficients for I- towards interferences of ClO4- and NO3- were estimated to be Kpot(I-,ClO4-) approximately 6.2 x 10(-4) and Kpot(I-,No3-) approximately 4.9 x 10(-4). The matrix has proved to be so stable that the selectivity coefficients have not been altered over six months.     

A fluorescence quenching method for the determination of nitrite with Rhodamine 110

A simple and sensitive fluorescence quenching method for the determination of trace nitrite has been developed. The method is based on the reaction of Rhodamine 110 with nitrite in acidic medium to form a new compound, which has much lower fluorescence. The optimum experimental conditions were studied. The linear range was obtained at a nitrite concentration of 1.0 x 10(-8)-3.0 x 10(-7)mol l(-1) with a detection limit of 7.0 x 10(-10) mol l(-1) (S/N=3). The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of nitrite in tap water and lake water without extraction.     

Spectroscopy and photophysics of self-organized zinc porphyrin nanolayers. 2. Transport properties of singlet excitation

Exciton diffusion has been studied in 5-25-nm-thick films of zinc tetra-(p-octylphenyl)-porphyrin (ZnTOPP) spin-coated onto quartz slides by intentional doping with quenchers using steady-state as well as time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence spectra of the films are very similar to those of solutions, indicating emission from localized exciton states. From the dependence of the fluorescence quenching on the quencher concentration and fluorescence lifetime measurements, the exciton diffusion can be concluded to be quasi-one-dimensional with an exciton diffusion length of 9 +/- 3 nm and an intrastack energy-transfer rate constant of 10(11)-10(12) s(-1). From fluorescence anisotropy decay measurements, we conclude that neighboring stacks aggregate in a herringbone structure, forming ordered domains that are randomly oriented in the substrate plane. These measurements indicate an interstack energy-transfer rate constant of (7 +/- 2) x 10(10) s(-1).     

Adsorption and mobility of a lipase at a hydrophobic surface in the presence of surfactants

With the aim of being able to manipulate the processes involved in interfacial catalysis, we have studied the effects of a mixture of nonionic/anionic surfactants, C12E6/LAS (1:2 mol %), on the adsorption and surface mobility of a lipase obtained from Thermomyces lanuginosus (TLL). Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and ellipsometry were used to analyze the competitive adsorption process between surfactants and TLL onto hydrophobic model surfaces intended to mimic an oily substrate for the lipase. We obtained the surface diffusion coefficient of a fluorescently labeled TLL variant on silica silanized with octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) on a confocal laser scanning microscope. By means of ellipsometry we calibrated the fluorescence intensity with the surface density of the lipase. The TLL diffusion was measured at different surface densities of the enzyme and at two time intervals after coadsorption with different concentrations of C12E6/LAS. The surfactant concentrations were chosen to represent concentrations below the critical micelle concentration (CMC), in the CMC region, and above the CMC. The apparent TLL surface diffusion was extrapolated to infinite surface dilution, D0. We found that the presence of surfactants strongly modulated the surface mobility of TLL: with D(0) = 0.8 x 10(-11) cm2/s without surfactants and D0 = 13.1 x 10(-11) cm2/s with surfactants above the CMC. The increase in lipase mobility on passing the CMC was also accompanied by a 2-fold increase in the mobile fraction of TLL. SPR analysis revealed that surface bound TLL was displaced by C12E6/LAS in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting that the observed increase in surface mobility imparts bulk-mediated diffusion and so-called rebinding of TLL to the surface. Our combined results on lipase/surfactant competitive adsorption and lipase surface mobility show how surfactants may play an important role in regulating interfacial catalysis from physiological digestion to technical applications such as detergency.     

Immobilizing single lipid and channel molecules in artificial lipid bilayers with annexin A5

The effects of annexin A5 on the lateral diffusion of single-molecule lipids and single-molecule proteins were studied in an artificial lipid bilayer membrane. Annexin A5 is a member of the annexin superfamily, which binds preferentially to anionic phospholipids in a Ca2+-dependent manner. In this report, we were able to directly monitor single BODIPY 1,2-dihexadecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DHPE) and ryanodine receptor type 2 (RyR2) labeled with Cy5 molecules in lipid bilayers containing phosphatidylserine (PS) by using fluorescence microscopy. The diffusion coefficients were calculated at various annexin A5 concentrations. The diffusion coefficients of BODIPY-DHPE and Cy5-RyR2 in the absence of annexin A5 were 4.81 x 10(-8) cm(2)/s and 2.13 x 10(-8) cm(2)/s, respectively. In the presence of 1 microM annexin A5, the diffusion coefficients of BODIPY-DHPE and Cy5-RyR2 were 2.2 x 10(-10) cm(2)/s and 9.5 x 10(-11) cm(2)/s, respectively. Overall, 1 microM of annexin A5 was sufficient to induce a 200-fold decrease in the lateral diffusion coefficient. Additionally, we performed electrophysiological examinations and determined that annexin A5 has little effect on the function of RyR2. This means that annexin A5 can be used to immobilize RyR2 in a lipid bilayer when imaging and analyzing RyR2.     

An unmediated hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on hemoglobin incorporated in a montmorillonite membrane

Hemoglobin was incorporated in a montmorillonite membrane. Electrochemical and spectroscopic studies revealed that the electron transfer reactivity and peroxidase activity of the protein were both enhanced. Nevertheless, its structure was still maintained native-like in the membrane. An unmediated hydrogen peroxide biosensor was accordingly prepared. The calibration plot of this H202 sensor was linear in the range of 1.0 x 10(-6)-6.0 x 10(-4) mol L(-1). The relative standard deviation was 3.1% for six successive determinations at a concentration of 1.0 x 10(-4) mol L(-1). The detection limit was 6.0 x 10(-7) mol L(-1). Possible interferences in real sample analyses are discussed.     

Examination of cucurbit[7]uril and its host-guest complexes by diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance

The self-diffusion of cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) and its host-guest complexes in D2O has been examined using pulsed gradient spin-echo nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. CB[7] diffuses freely at a concentration of 2 mM with a diffusion coefficient (D) of 3.07 x 10(-10) m(2) s(-1). At saturation (3.7 mM), CB[7] diffuses more slowly (D = 2.82 x 10(-10) m(2) s(-1)) indicating that it partially self-associates. At concentrations between 2 and 200 mM, CsCl has no effect on the diffusion coefficient of CB[7] (1 mM). Conversely, CB[7] (2 mM) significantly affects the diffusion of 133Cs+ (1 mM), decreasing its diffusion coefficient from 1.86 to 0.83 x 10(-9) m(2) s(-1). Similar changes in the rate of diffusion of other alkali earth metal cations are observed upon the addition of CB[7]. The diffusion coefficient of 23Na+ changes from 1.26 to 0.90 x 10(-9) m(2) s(-1) and 7Li+ changes from 3.40 to 3.07 x 10(-9) m(2) s(-1). In most cases, encapsulation of a variety of inorganic and organic guests within CB[7] decreases their rates of diffusion in D2O. For instance, the diffusion coefficient of the dinuclear platinum complex trans-[[PtCl(NH3)2}2mu-dpzm](2+) (where dpzm is 4,4'-dipyrazolylmethane) decreases from 4.88 to 2.95 x 10(-10) m(2) s(-1) upon encapsulation with an equimolar concentration of CB[7].     

Fluorescence optical fiber sensor for tetracycline

A new optical fiber sensor for monitoring tetracycline has been described, based on the fluorescence quenching of 1,4-bis(5,5'-dimethylbenzoxazole-1',3'-yl-2')benzene incorporated into a thin plasticized polymer film by tetracycline extracted from aqueous phase into film phase. The sensor is fully reversible and highly reproducible. Furthermore, the sensor exhibits a linear response to tetracycline in the range 6.98x10(-7)-8.73x10(-5) mol l(-1) with a detection limit of 1.06x10(-7) mol l(-1), and with the response time <30 s. The response is also selective to tetracycline, with some common pharmaceutical species, alkali and alkali-earth metal salts being highly discriminated, suggesting that the sensor can be used to monitor tetracycline in three pharmaceutical preparations. The recovery of tetracycline from commercial formulations is 95.3-98.3%.     

An amperometric hydrogen peroxide biosensor based on immobilizing horseradish peroxidase to a nano-Au monolayer supported by sol-gel derived carbon ceramic electrode

A novel strategy for fabricating horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-based H(2)O(2) sensor has been developed by combining the merits of carbon sol-gel supporting matrix and nano-scaled particulate gold (nano-Au) mediator. The thiol functional group-derived carbon ceramic electrode (CCE) was first constructed using (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxy silane as sol-gel monomer. Then, the stable nano-Au monolayer was obtained through covalent linkage between nano-Au and thiol group on the surface of CCE. The experimental results showed that nano-Au monolayer formed not only could steadily immobilize HRP but also efficiently retain its bioactivity. Hydrogen peroxide was detected with the aid of hydroquinone mediator to transfer electrons between the electrode and HRP. The process parameters for the fabrication of the enzyme electrode and various experimental variables such as the operating potential, mediator concentration and pH of background electrolyte were explored for optimum analytical performance of the enzyme electrode. The biosensor had a fast response of less than 8 s with linear range of 1.22 x 10(-5) to 1.10 x 10(-3)mol l(-1) and a detection limit of 6.1 x 10(-6)mol l(-1). The sensitivity of the sensor for H(2)O(2) was 0.29 A l mol(-1) cm(-2). The activation energy for enzyme reaction was calculated to be 10.1 kJ mol(-1). The enzyme electrode retained 75% of its initial activity after 5 weeks storage in phosphate buffer at pH 7.