Optical sensors

Summary A fibre optic biosensor for ethanol was developed, which is based on the enzymatic oxidation of ethanol. The sensor layer contains an oxygen-sensitive fluorescing indicator which reports the decrease in the local oxygen partial pressure as the result of the enzymatic oxidation. The sensor measures in the 50–500 mmol/l ethanol range, with an accuracy of ± 4 mmol/l at 100 mmol/l. The detection limit is 10 mmol/l ethanol.

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Optische SensorenTeil 20. Ein faseroptischer Biosensor für Ethanol

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Presented in part at the Biosensor International Workshop 1987 at GBF, Braunschweig, June 1987     

Determination of organic anions in waste liquid of sodium hydrosulfite production by ion chromatography.

An ion chromatographic method for simultaneous determination of formate, hydroxyethyl sulfonate (HES), hydroxyethyl thiosulfate (HET), and coexisting anions in the industrial waste liquid of sodium hydrosulfite production was developed. The mixture of 1.6 mmol/l of phthalic acid and 1.2 mmol/l tri-(hydroxyethyl) aminomethane was used as eluent. The interference of coexisting sulfite anion with HES was avoided by selective oxidation with hydrogen peroxide as oxidizer. The other coexisting inorganic anions, Cl-, SO4(2-) and S2O3(2-) can be determined simultaneously. The linear range of the peak area calibration curves for all analytes was up to two or three orders of magnitude. The detection limits (S/N = 3) for formate, HES and HET were 2.4, 1.0 and 0.5 mg/l, respectively. The recoveries for all analytes were 91.61-100.6%.     

Determination of trace thiocyanate in body fluids by a kinetic fluorimetric method

A simple and very sensitive kinetic fluorimetric method is reported for the determination of trace amount of thiocyanate. The proposed method is based on the inhibition effect of thiocyanate on oxidation of rhodamine 6G by potassium bromate in sulfuric acid solution. The detection limit for thiocyanate is 1.63 x 10(-6) mmol/l. The linear range of the determination is 4.82 x 10(-6)-4.13 x 10(-5) mmol/l. This method has been used to determine trace thiocyanate in urine and saliva of smokers and non-smokers. The results obtained are satisfactory.     

An ethanol biosensor based on a bacterial cell-immobilized eggshell membrane

An ethanol biosensor was fabricated based on a Methylobacterium organophilium-immobilized eggshell membrane and an oxygen（O₂） electrode.A linear response for ethanol was obtained in the range of 0.050-7.5 mmol/L with a detection limit of 0.025 mmol/L（S/N= 3） and a R.S.D.of 2.1%.The response time was less than 100 s at room temperature and ambient pressure. The optimal loading of bacterial cells on the biosensor membrane is 40 mg（wet weight）.The optimal working conditions for the microbial biosensor are pH 7.0 phosphate buffer（50 mmol/L） at 20-25℃.The interference test,operational and storage stability of the biosensor are studied in detail.Finally,the biosensor is applied to determine the ethanol contents in various alcohol samples and the results are comparable to that obtained by gas chromatographic method and the results are satisfactory.Our proposed biosensor provides a convenient,simple and reliable method to determine ethanol content in alcoholic drinks.     

Plutonium(III) oxidation under α-irradiation in nitric acid solutions

Plutonium(III) oxidation under high energy α-irradiation in nitric acid solutions has been studied relative to concentrations of both nitric acid (0.12–2.9 mol/l) and plutonium (1.4–10 mmol/l) using spectrophotometric techniques. Curium-244 has been used as the basic alpha-irradiation source. It has been stated that in solutions with nitric acid concentrations lower than 0.5 mol/l plutonium(III) does not oxidize completely. In the course of the process the formation of a plutonium(IV) peroxide complex is observed. Increase in the nitric acid concentration results in that in both the rate and degree of plutonium(III) oxidation. When c_{HNO 3} is higher than 0.5 mol/l the peroxide complex does not form and the process assumes an autocatalytic character. It has also been shown that plutonium(III) oxidation kinetics is significantly affected by nitrous acid, one of the nitrate ion radiolysis products. To describe plutonium chemical transformations under irradiation in nitric acid solutions, a kinetic scheme is proposed. The calculations have been carried out on a BESM-6 computer; a satisfactory agreement between the calculated and experimental data has been obtained.     

Fluorometric determination of khellin in human urine and serum by high-performance liquid chromatography using postcolumn photoirradiation.

For the determination of khellin in urine and serum, fluorometry using HPLC-postcolumn photoirradiation has been developed. Khellin and visnagin of similar structure were separated on a column of Capcell Pak C8. The mobile phase consisted of 40%(v/v) ethanol containing 75 mmol l(-1) H2O2. The postcolumn reagent, 70 mmol l(-1) KH2PO4-NaOH buffer (pH 12.7) containing 50%(v/v) ethanol, were mixed with the mobile phase, which was irradiated with ultraviolet light to induce fluorescence. The fluorescence was monitored with excitation at 378 nm and emission at 480 nm. The calibration graph for khellin was linear over the range of 65 - 2620 ng ml(-1) using an injection volume of 20 microl. The pretreatment of the urine or serum samples consisted of diluting steps or deproteinizing steps using perchloric acid, respectively.     

Graphene oxide–MnO_2 nanocomposite-modified glassy carbon electrode as an efficient sensor for H_2O_2

In this study, a new facile preparation method of nanocomposites consisting of graphene oxide and manganese dioxide nanowires(GO/MnO_2 NW_s) was developed. The morphology, structure and composition of the resulted products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and N_2 adsorption and desorption. The GO/MnO_2 nanocomposite was used as an electrode material for non-enzymatic determination of hydrogen peroxide. The proposed sensor exhibits excellent electrocatalytic performance for the determination of hydrogen peroxide in phosphate buffer solution(PBS, pH7) at an applied potential of 0.75 V. The non-enzymatic biosensor for determination of hydrogen peroxide displayed a wide linear range of 4.90 mmol L~(-1)–4.50 mmol L~(-1)with a correlation coefficient of 0.9992, a low detection limit of 0.48 mmol L~(-1) and a high sensitivity of 191.22μA(mmol L~(-1))~(-1)cm~(-2)(signal/noise, S/N = 3). Moreover, the non-enzymatic biosensor shows an excellent selectivity.     

Kinetics of Copper Dissolution in the Solution of Polyacrylic Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide

Dependence of the rate of copper dissolution on the concentration of polyacrylic acid and hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solution was studied. The process rate was shown to grow with an increase in acid concentration in solution to 5.5 g/l; at concentrations above 10 g/l, the rate remains virtually constant. Within the concentration range from 6 to 30 mmol/l, hydrogen peroxide does not practically influence the rate of process. It was found that the rates of copper oxidation and copper(II) polyacrylate formation are significantly lower than those of the desorption of polyacrylic acid or its salts from the copper plate and are determined by the mass of polyacrylic acid adsorbed on the copper unit surface.     

Determination of femtomole concentrations of catecholamines by high-performance liquid chromatography with peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence detection.

A highly sensitive method for determination of the plasma catecholamines, norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E) and dopamine (DA) is described. The method consists of the extraction of the catecholamines, using 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine as internal standard, from plasma with alumina (5 mg), followed by a reversed-phase column separation, on-column fluorogenic derivatization with ethylenediamine (ED) and post-column peroxyoxalate chemiluminescent reaction detection utilizing bis[4-nitro-2-(3,6,9-trioxadecyl-oxycarbonyl)phenyl] oxalate (TDPO) and hydrogen peroxide. In order to optimize the reaction conditions for high-performance liquid chromatography to obtain highly sensitive detection, the effects of changing reagent compositions on the chemiluminescence yield were investigated. The following are the optimized conditions. Eluent, a mixture of 50 mmol l-1 potassium acetate (pH 3.20)-50 mmol l-1 potassium phosphate (pH 3.20)-acetonitrile (90.15 + 4.85 + 3 v/v/v) containing 1 mmol l-1 sodium hexanesulfonate (40 degrees C) and flow rate, 0.5 ml min-1. Fluorogenic reagent solution, 105 mmol l-1 ED and 175 mmol l-1 imidazole in acetonitrile-ethanol (90 + 10 v/v) and flow rate, 0.25 ml min-1. Reaction coil (15 m x 0.5 mm i.d.) heated at 80 degrees C. Chemiluminogenic reagent solution, 0.25 mmol l-1 TDPO, 150 mmol l-1 hydrogen peroxide and 110 mmol l-1 trifluoroacetic acid in dioxane-ethyl acetate (50:50 v/v) and flow rate, 1.4 ml min-1. The detection limits for all the catecholamines were 1 fmol (signal-to-noise ratio at 2). The standard deviations of the method for the determination of NE, E and DA added to rat plasma (2.5 nM) were 3, 3 and 4%, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Kinetic study of the oxidation of ethanol by 3,4-lutidine chromium(VI) peroxide in dichloromethane solution

The oxidation kinetics of ethanol with 3,4-lutindine chromium(VI) peroxide (LCP) were investigated by monitoring the absorbance change at 565 nm in dichloromethane solution. The reaction had a first-order dependence on oxidant and a fractional (one half) dependence on reactant. The stoichiometric ratio between LCP and ethanol was 1 : 2. The activation parameters were determined from temperature dependence of the reaction rate. It was found that the cleavage of the peroxide groups of LCP is primarily responsible for the oxidant of ethanol to acetaldehyde. Based on the kinetic results obtained (including deuterium isotope effect) a plausible mechanism is proposed. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A Novel Fully Enzymatic Method for Determining Glucose and 1,5-Anhydro-<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-Glucitol in Serum of One Cuvette

The aim of the study was to set up a novel fully enzymatic method for screening glucose and 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol (1,5-AG) in one cuvette. We have determined glucose and 1,5-AG, based on glucokinase (GK) converting glucose to G6P, a compound that can be catalyzed ultimately into 6-PGA by G-6PD and its coenzyme NADP(+), and then calculated glucose concentration according to absorbance variety. Furthermore, pyranose oxidase was used to oxidize 1,5-AG with the formation of 1, 5-anhydro-fructose and H(2)O(2). Measurement was done according to Trinder's reaction principle. The mean within-run and day-to-day precision (CV) of this method for glucose was 0.88% and 1.4%, and also that for 1,5-AG was 1.05% and 1.94%, respectively. The mean recovery rate of two targets was 100.2% and 101.6%, respectively. The correlation (R(2)) between the results of 1,5-AG obtained with our proposed method (y) and those obtained with LanaAG method (x) was 0.999 (y=1.002x-0.675 micromol/l; n=86), and the correlation (R(2)) of glucose between the results obtained with our GK method (y) and those obtained with recommendatory hexokinase method (x) was 0.9999 (y=1.0043x+0.1229 mmol/l; n=86). The reference range (95%) of serological glucose and 1,5-AG was 3.7 to 5.7 mmol/l (4.70+/-0.51 mmol/l) and 83.1 to 240.7 micromol/l (161.9+/-40.2 micromol/l), respectively; and there was no difference with age and sex (P>0.05). This newly developed method was dependable and steady-going, with analysis automatization, and allows quicker and easier measurement of serum glucose and 1,5-AG in one identical reaction cuvette in-phase than previously described methods.     

Characterization of proteinaceous glues in old paintings by separation of the o-phtalaldehyde derivatives of their amino acids by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A HPLC-fluorescence method for characterization of proteinaceous glues from binding media used in pictorial works of art prior to conservation or restoration treatment is proposed. Fluorescence derivatization of amino acids released by acid hydrolysis of standard proteins is studied. The derivatization reagent was o-phtalaldehyde with 2-mercaptoethanol as catalyst. Mobile phase was a programmed gradient among two eluents (water buffered at pH 5.8 wit 5% THF, and methanol) and is able to satisfactorily resolve the amino acid derivatives in 45 min. Peak area ratios among amino acid derivatives and the leucine derivative are useful to characterize the proteins. The method shows good sensitivity and adequate linearity between 2.0 × 10⁻³ and 3.3 mmol/l of each amino acid, with a limit of detection of 6.0 × 10⁻⁴ mmol/l. The proposed method has been successfully applied to artistic samples from items of the cultural heritage of Valencia (Spain).     

Hydrogen Peroxide Sensor Based on Carbon Nanotubes/β‐Ni(OH)2 Nanocomposites

Ni(OH)₂ nanoflowers were synthesized by a simple and energy‐efficient wet chemistry method. The product was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD). Then Ni(OH)₂ nanoflowers attached multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) were proposed (MWCNTs/Ni(OH)₂/GCE) to use as electrochemical sensor to detect hydrogen peroxide. The results showed that the synergistic effect was obtained on the MWCNTs/Ni(OH)₂/GCE whose sensitivity was better than that of Ni(OH)₂/GCE. The linear range is from 0.2 to 22 mmol/L, the detection limit is 0.066 mmol/L, and the response time is <5 s. Satisfyingly, the MWCNTs/Ni(OH)₂/GCE was not only successfully employed to eliminate the interferences from uric acid (UA), acid ascorbic (AA), dopamine (DA), glucose (GO) but also NO₂^? during the detection. The MWCNTs/Ni(OH)₂/GCE allows highly sensitive, excellently selective and fast amperometric sensing of hydrogen peroxide and thus is promising for the future development of hydrogen peroxide sensors.     

Preparation of silica-polystyrene core-shell particles up to micron sizes

A method for producing silica-core composite particles with a polystyrene shell is proposed. Silica particles were prepared by the St?ber method through condensation and hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate in a water-ethanol-ammonia solution. The silica particles were the surface-modified with a coupling reagent, methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS), to introduce vinyl groups onto the particle surfaces. Polymerization of styrene was conducted with an initiator, potassium persulfate (KPS), and an anionic monomer, sodium p-styrenesulfonate (NaSS), in the presence of the silica particles. In these coating experiments, the average size of the silica particles was varied from 339 to 1210 nm with the concentration ranges of MPTMS (0-10 mmol/l), NaSS (0-10 mmol/l), KPS (4-12 mmol/l), and styrene (0.12-0.4 mol/l). Selection of reaction conditions enabled the preparation of composite particles that contained one core of silica. The coefficient of variance of size distribution of the composite particles was less than 7%, and shell thickness was in the range 125 to 410 nm.     

On-line pretreatment and determination of parabens in cosmetic products by combination of flow injection analysis, solid-phase extraction and micellar electrokinetic chromatography

A convenient and automated method for on-line pretreatment and determination of three parabens (i.e. methyl, ethyl and propyl p-hydroxybenzoate) in cosmetic products is proposed by using flow injection analysis (FIA), solid-phase extraction (SPE) and micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC). An improved split–flow interface is used to couple SPE on C₈-bonded silica with MEKC separation, which can avoid running buffer contamination and reduce buffer consumption, especially, containing expensive reagents. The analytes are loaded onto a C₈ column at 0.6 mL/min for 60 s and eluted with a mixed eluent of 40% (v/v) 10 mmol/L sodium tetraborate buffer (pH 9.3) and 60% (v/v) ethanol at 0.75 mL/min. The MEKC separation is accomplished with a running buffer of 20 mmol/L sodium tetraborate (pH 9.3) containing 100 mmol/L sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at 15 kV. For butyl p-hydroxybenzoate did not be detected in the cosmetic products, it was used as an internal standard (IS) added into the real samples. This FIA–SPE–MEKC method using IS allows the sample separation within 12 min and the sample throughput of five samples per hour with the relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) less than 2.3% (n = 5). The limits of detection (LOD) are in the range from 0.07 to 0.1 μg/mL (S/N = 3 and n = 11). The proposed method has been used to determine three parabens in real cosmetic products satisfactorily.     

Ion chromatographic determination of hydroxide ion on monolithic reversed-phase silica gel columns coated with nonionic and cationic surfactants

The determination of hydroxide by ion chromatography (IC) is demonstrated using a monolithic octadecylsilyl (ODS)-silica gel column coated first with a nonionic surfactant (polyoxyethylene (POE)) and then with a cationic surfactant (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)). This stationary phase, when used in conjunction with a 10 mmol/l sodium sulfate eluent at pH 8.2, was found to be suitable for the rapid and efficient separation of hydroxide from some other anions, based on a conventional ion-exchange mechanism. The peak directions and detection responses for these ions were in agreement with their known limiting equivalent ionic conductance values. Under these conditions, a linear calibration plot was obtained for hydroxide ion over the range 16 micromol/l to 15 mmol/l, and the detection limit determined at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 was 6.4 micromol/l. The double-coated stationary phase described above was shown to be superior to a single coating of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide alone, in terms of separation efficiency and stability of the stationary phase. A range of samples comprising solutions of some strong and weak bases was analyzed by the proposed method and the results obtained were in good agreement with those obtained by conventional potentiometric pH measurement.     

A multi-pumping flow system for chemiluminometric determination of ascorbic acid in powdered materials for preparation of fruit juices

A multi-pumping flow-based procedure with chemiluminescent detection is proposed for the determination of ascorbic acid, AA, in fruit juices (powdered form). The method relies on the inhibitory effect of AA on the oxidation of luminol by hydrogen peroxide in alkaline medium. The system comprises several discretely actuated solenoid pumps as the only active components. It handles 100 samples per hour, and requires 96 μl of sample, 42 μg of luminol and 105 μg of potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) per determination. The analytical curve is linear up to about 11 mmol l^− 1 AA, and detection limit is 0.17 mmol l^− 1 AA. The system yields precise measurements (r.s.d. < 1%; n = 11), and recovery ranges from 94% to 106%. Results are in agreement with the reference method (AOAC) at the 95% confidence level.     

聚多巴胺包埋G-四联体/血红素DNA酶制备过氧化氢生物传感器

利用多巴胺的氧化自聚实现对G-四联体/血红素DNA酶的包埋,成功构建了H2O2电化学生物传感器。DNA和血红素混合得到G-四联体/血红素复合物;DNA酶物理吸附在玻碳电极上后,将10μL 5 g/L多巴胺的磷酸盐缓冲液(pH 8.0)滴在表面,空气中的氧气氧化多巴胺形成聚多巴胺膜,实现DNA酶的固定。考察了不同DNA序列对传感器性能的影响,表明电化学与光学传感过程具有不同序列响应。此传感器对H2O2的检出限为2.2μmol/L;线性范围为0.01～1.5 mmol/L。本研究证实了利用聚多巴胺固定酶和用DNA酶代替天然酶构筑传感器的可行性。     

Determination of six components in Rhubarb by cyclodextrin-modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography using a mixed micellar system of sodium cholate and sodium taurocholate

A cyclodextrin-modified micellar electrokinetic chromatographic method was established to determine five anthraquinone derivatives and a distyrene derivative in Rhubarb. The six components were successfully separated by using the mixed micellar system consisting of 20 mmol/l SC and 20 mmol/l STC with 15 mmol/l β-CD in the BGE of 20 mmol/l borax buffer (pH 11) in less than 20 min. Effect of SC and STC concentrations, pH of BGE and concentration of β-CD on the separation was studied. The analytical performance of the method was discussed in terms of linearity response, precision, detection limits, quantitation limits and recoveries. The method developed was applied to the determination of three commercial Rhubarb samples. The results obtained agreed with those of the reported documents.     

Determination of purine and pyrimidine bases in DNA by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography with electrochemical detection

A method based on micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography with electrochemical detection was developed for the determination of cytosine, 5-methylcytosine (5-MC), thymine, adenine, and guanine in the hydrolysates of DNA. The working electrode was fabricated in a novel self-positioning carbon disc electrode system that can align the capillary outlet with the working electrode without a three-dimensional micromanipulator. The five analytes could be well separated within 10 min in a 40 cm length capillary at a separation voltage of 9 kV in a 40 mmol/l borate buffer (pH 10.0) containing 100 mmol/l sodium dodecyl sulfate. Good linearity was observed between peak current and concentration of bases over three orders of magnitude with the detection limits (SIN=3) ranging from 1.28 x 10(-6) to 5.02 x 10(-6) mol/l. This proposed method demonstrated long-term stability and reproducibility with relative standard deviations of less than 5% for both migration time and peak current (n=7). It has been successfully applied to determine bases including 5-MC in the hydrolysates of fish sperm DNA, calf thymus DNA, and DNA isolated from spleen cells of female mice.