Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of heme proteins on SWCNTs-CTAB modified electrodes

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of heme proteins including hemoglobin (Hb), myoglobin (Mb) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were studied with the protein incorporated single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)-cetylramethylammonium bromide (CTAB) nanocomposite film modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs). The incorporated heme proteins were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet visible (UV) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electrochemistry, indicating the heme proteins in SWCNTs-CTAB nanocomposite films keep their secondary structure similar to their native states. The direct electron transfer between the heme proteins in SWCNTs-CTAB films and GCE was investigated. The electrochemical parameters such as formal potentials and apparent heterogeneous electrontransfer rate constants (k_s) were estimated by square wave voltammetry with nonlinear regression analysis. The heme protein-SWCNT-CTAB electrodes show excellent electrocatalytic activities for the reduction of H₂O₂ and NO₂⁻, which have been utilized to determine the concentrations of H₂O₂ and NO₂⁻.     

Direct electrochemistry of bacterial cytochrome c551 at surface-modified gold electrodes

The direct electrochemistry of the single heme cytochrome c₅₅₁ from the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been investigated at gold electrodes surface-modified through chemisorption of polyfunctional organic molecules. The results have been compared and contrasted with those obtained under the same conditions for the eukaryotic cytochrome c from horse heart. Both cytochromes give a quasi-reversible electrode reaction at pH 6.0 at a modified interface presenting only 4-pyridyl groups to the solution suggesting the occurrence, in both cases, of a hydrogen bonding interaction from lysine side-chains on the protein to pyridyl-nitrogens on the electrode surface. However, in contrast, gold electrodes modified by Pyridine-n-AldehydeThioSemicarbazones (n = 2, 3, 4) give electrochemistry which is strongly isomer-dependent in the case of horse heart cytochrome c but completely isomer-independent in the case of cytochrome c₅₅₁. It is suggested that interaction of the eukaryotic protein with surfaces is dominated by its lysine residues only, but that interaction of the bacterial cytochrome is through hydrogen bonding from the surface to both lysines and carboxylate groups of aspartate residues. This is supported by observation of the loss of cytochrome c₅₅₁ electrochemistry at 4-pyridyl-only modified gold at pH 9.0 compared with the good, quasi-reversible electrochemistry maintained under the same conditions at PATS-4 modified gold. It is concluded that, while the two cytochromes show many similarities with respect to their structures and functions, they have quite different interfacial electron transfer reactions, particularly at PATS-modified electrodes. This may correlate with the known large differences between the two proteins in net electrostatic charge and surface charge distribution.     

Direct electrochemistry of Phanerochaete chrysosporium cellobiose dehydrogenase covalently attached onto gold nanoparticle modified solid gold electrodes

Achieving efficient electrochemical communication between redox enzymes and various electrode materials is one of the main challenges in bioelectrochemistry and is of great importance for developing electronic applications. Cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) is an extracellular flavocytochrome composed of a catalytic FAD containing dehydrogenase domain (DH(CDH)), a heme b containing cytochrome domain (CYT(CDH)), and a flexible linker region connecting the two domains. Efficient direct electron transfer (DET) of CDH from the basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium (PcCDH) covalently attached to mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) modified gold nanoparticle (AuNP) electrode is presented. The thiols used were as follows: 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP), 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA), 4-mercaptophenol (4-MP), 11-mercapto-1-undecanamine (MUNH(2)), 11-mercapto-1-undecanoic acid (MUCOOH), and 11-mercapto-1-undecanol (MUOH). A covalent linkage between PcCDH and 4-ATP or MUNH(2) in the mixed SAMs was formed using glutaraldehyde as cross-linker. The covalent immobilization and the surface coverage of PcCDH were confirmed with surface plasmon resonance (SPR). To improve current density, AuNPs were cast on the top of polycrystalline gold electrodes. For all the immobilized PcCDH modified AuNPs electrodes, cyclic voltammetry exhibited clear electrochemical responses of the CYT(CDH) with fast electron transfer (ET) rates in the absence of substrate (lactose), and the formal potential was evaluated to be +162 mV vs NHE at pH 4.50. The standard ET rate constant (k(s)) was estimated for the first time for CDH and was found to be 52.1, 59.8, 112, and 154 s(-1) for 4-ATP/4-MBA, 4-ATP/4-MP, MUNH(2)/MUCOOH, and MUNH(2)/MUOH modified electrodes, respectively. At all the mixed SAM modified AuNP electrodes, PcCDH showed DET only via the CYT(CDH). No DET communication between the DH(CDH) domain and the electrode was found. The current density for lactose oxidation was remarkably increased by introduction of the AuNPs. The 4-ATP/4-MBA modified AuNPs exhibited a current density up to 30 μA cm(-2), which is ～70 times higher than that obtained for a 4-ATP/4-MBA modified polycrystalline gold electrode. The results provide insight into fundamental electrochemical properties of CDH covalently immobilized on gold electrodes and promote further applications of CDHs for biosensors, biofuel cells, and bioelectrocatalysis.     

Laser-induced temperature jump electrochemistry on gold nanoparticle-coated electrodes

Laser-induced temperature jumps (LITJs) at gold nanoparticle-coated indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes in contact with electrolyte solutions have been measured using temperature-sensitive redox probes and an infrared charge-coupled device. Upon irradiation with 532 nm light, interfacial temperature changes of ca. 20 degrees C were recorded for particle coverages of ca. 1 x 1010 cm-2. In the presence of a redox molecule, LITJ yields open-circuit photovoltages and photocurrents that are proportional to the number of particles on the surface. When ssDNA was used to chemisorb nanoparticles to the ITO surface, solution concentrations as low as 100 fM of target ssDNA-modified nanoparticles could be detected at the electrode surface.     

Self-assembly of the light-harvesting complex of photosystem II (LHCII) on alkanethiol-modified gold electrodes

A light-harvesting complex of photosystem II (LHCII), isolated from spinach, was immobilized onto a gold electrode modified with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols, NH₂–(CH₂) _n –SH, n = 2, 6, 8, 11; HOOC–(CH₂)₇–SH; and CH₃–(CH₂)₇–SH; and a bare electrode. The extent of LHCII complex adsorption according to surface treatment decreased in the order amino groups > carboxylic acid groups > methyl groups and increased with the methylene chain length in NH₂–(CH₂) _n –SH. Interestingly, the photocurrent density depended on the terminal group and the methylene chain length in NH₂–(CH₂) _n –SH and decreased in the order amino groups > methyl groups > carboxylic acid groups. An efficient photocurrent response of the LHCII complex on SAMs of NH₂–(CH₂) _n –SH, n = 8 was observed upon illumination at 680 nm. These results indicated that the LHCII complexes were well organized on the cationic surfaces of the gold electrodes modified with amino alkanethiols. The quantum yield depended on the methylene chain length (n), where the maximum photocurrent response was observed at n = 8, which corresponded to a distance of 1.7 nm between the terminal amino group in NH₂–(CH₂)₈–SH and the gold surface.     

Direct electrochemistry of recombinant tobacco peroxidase on gold

Direct electron transfer (DET) reactions of recombinant tobacco peroxidase (rTOP), namely direct electroreduction of Compound I/Compound II and heme Fe^3+/2+ conversion, were studied on gold electrodes. rTOP of wild type, non-glycosylated, was produced using an Escherichia coli expression system. At pH 5.0, the redox potential for direct electrochemical transformation of the Fe^3+/2+ of the peroxidase heme was −143 mV vs. AgAgCl, and 0.26 ± 0.07 pmol of the adsorbed rTOP were in DET contact with the gold electrode. The total amount of the adsorbed rTOP estimated from QCM data was 53 ± 5 pmol/cm² or 1.67 pmol when referred to the surface area of the electrodes used for electrochemical measurements. Of 1.67 pmol of adsorbed rTOP, only 0.76 pmol were catalytically active. DET between Au and the enzyme was also studied in the reaction of the bioelectrocatalytic reduction of H₂O₂ by cyclic voltammetry and amperometric detection of H₂O₂ at +50 mV with rTOP-modified Au electrodes placed in a wall-jet flow-through electrochemical cell. Maximal bioelectrocatalytic current response of the rTOP-modified gold electrodes to H₂O₂ was observed at pH 5.0 and stemmed from its bioelectrocatalytic reduction based on DET between Au and the active site of rTOP. Kinetic analysis of the DET reactions gave 52% of the adsorbed rTOP molecules active in DET reactions (0.4 pmol of adsorbed catalytically active rTOP, correspondingly), which correlated well with the non-catalytic-voltammetry data. DET was characterised by a heterogeneous ET rate constant of 13.2 s⁻¹, if one takes into account the QCM data, and 19.6 s⁻¹, if the amount of rTOP estimated from the data on DET transformation of Fe^3+/2+ couple of rTOP is considered. The sensitivity for H₂O₂ obtained for the rTOP-modified Au electrodes was 0.7 ± 0.1 A M⁻¹ cm⁻². These are the first ever-reported data on DET reactions of anionic plant peroxidases on bare gold electrodes.     

Direct electrochemistry of catalase on glassy carbon electrodes.

Catalase was investigated as a possible catalyst of the electrochemical reduction of oxygen on glassy carbon electrodes. The presence of catalase dissolved in solution only provoked a moderate current increase, which was fully explained by the catalase-catalysed disproportionation of hydrogen peroxide (Scheme I). When catalase was adsorbed from dimethylsulfoxide on the surface of electrodes that did not undergo any electrochemical pre-treatment (EP), catalase efficiently catalysed oxygen reduction via direct electron transfer from the electrode (Scheme II). The results are discussed with respect to the electrode surface properties and the enzyme structure.     

Direct cytochrome c electrochemistry at boron-doped diamond electrodes

Highly boron-doped diamond electrodes are characterized voltammetrically employing Ru(NH₃)₆^3+/2+, Fe(CN)₆^3−/4−, benzoquinone/hydroquinone, and cytochrome c redox systems. The diamond electrodes, which are polished to nanometer finish, are initially `activated' electrochemically and then pretreated by oxidation, reduction, or polishing. All electrodes give reversible cyclic voltammetric responses for the reduction of Ru(NH₃)₆³⁺ in aqueous solution.Redox systems other than Ru(NH₃)₆^3+/2+ show characteristic electrochemical behavior as a function of diamond surface pretreatment. In particular, the horse heart cytochrome c redox system is shown to give reversible voltammetric responses at Al₂O₃ polished boron-doped diamond electrodes. No voltammetric response for cytochrome c is detected at anodically pretreated diamond electrodes. The observations are attributed to preferential interaction of the polished diamond surface with the reactive region of the cytochrome c molecule and low interference due to a lack of protein electrode fouling.     

Influence of bromide on electrochemistry of photosynthetic reaction center films on gold electrodes

A strong influence of bromide ion was found on voltammetry of layered films of photosynthetic reaction center (RC) protein and polyions on gold electrodes. Similar, but not identical, cyclic voltammetry peaks were observed for polyion films on gold with and without RC when the buffer solutions contained bromide ion. CVs of RC films were quite different in the absence of bromide. These new findings suggest that previously published results were biased by significant background peaks involving bromide ion adsorption/desorption.     

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of myoglobin immobilized on L-cysteine self-assembled gold electrode

Myoglobin (Mb) has been successfully immobilized on a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of L-cysteine (Cys) on a gold electrode, Au/Cys. The presence of a pair of well-defined and nearly reversible waves centered at ca. 0.086 V vs Ag/AgCl (pH 6.5) suggests that the native character of Mb heme Fe(III/II) redox couple has been obtained. The formal potential of Mb on Cys SAM exhibited pH-dependent variation in the pH range of 5-9 with a slope of 55 mV/pH, indicating that the electron transfer is accompanied by a single proton exchange. Thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of Mb adsorption processes on Au/Cys were studied by using voltammetric and quartz-crystal microbalance methods. The Au/Cys electrode with immobilized Mb exhibited electrocatalytic activity toward ascorbic acid (AA) oxidation with an overpotential decrease of over 400 mV and a linear dependence of current on the AA concentration from 0.5 to 5.0 mmol L(-1).     

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of cytochrome c immobilized on gold nanoparticles-chitosan-carbon nanotubes-modified electrode

A robust and effective nanohybrid film based on gold nanoparticles (GNPs)/chitosan (Chit)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) was prepared by a layer-by-layer self-assembly technique. Cytochrome c (Cyt c) was successfully immobilized on the nanohybrid film modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode by cyclic voltammetry. The direct electron transfer between Cyt c and the modified electrode was investigated in detail. Cyt c shows a couple of quasi-reversible and well-defined cyclic voltammetry peaks with a formal potential (E^0′) of −0.16 V (versus Ag/AgCl) in pH 7.0 phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The Cyt c/GNPs/Chit/MWNTs modified GC electrode gives an improved electrocatalytic activity towards the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The sensitivity is 92.21 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻² and the calculated apparent Michaelis-Menten constant () is 0.791 mM, indicating a high-catalytic activity of Cyt c. The catalysis currents increase linearly to the H₂O₂ concentration in a wide range of 1.5 × 10⁻⁶ to 5.1 × 10⁻⁴ M with a correlation coefficient 0.999. The detection limit is 9.0 × 10⁻⁷ M (at the ratio of signal to noise, S/N = 3). Moreover, the modified electrode displays rapid response (5 s) to H₂O₂, and possesses good stability and reproducibility.     

Direct electrochemistry of heme proteins: effect of electrode surface modification by neutral surfactants

Direct electrochemical studies on horse heart myoglobin and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) have been carried out using tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) and surfactant modified glassy carbon working electrodes. These proteins show very slow electron transfer kinetics at metal or untreated electrodes. Moreover, small amounts of surface-active impurity were drastically affects the electrode reaction of these proteins. The results showed that modification of the electrode surface with neutral surfactants significantly improves the electrochemical response of myoglobin as well as of HRP. The electrode response was found to depend on the structure of the surfactants. The amount of surfactant required per unit area of the electrode surface to promote the maximum electron transfer rate constants was found to be constant. This indicated that the surfactant molecules interacted with the electrode surface in a specific manner and anchored the protein molecules to align in the suitable orientation. The hydrophobicity of the surfactants rather than their charge was found to be crucial in promoting the electrode response of these proteins at the glassy carbon electrode.     

Direct electrochemistry and superficial characterization of DNA-cytochrome c-MUA films on chemically modified gold surface

Cytochrome c (Cyt. c) was immobilized on the 11-mercaptohendecanoic acid (MUA)-modified gold electrode. The electrode was stable and sensitive to Cyt. c. Later, DNA was also immobilized on the two-layer modified electrode. Cyclic voltammetry studies show that Cyt. c can interact with dsDNA and ssDNA. The binding site sizes were determined to be 15 base pairs per Cyt. c molecule with dsDNA and 30 nucleotides binding 1 Cyt. c molecule with ssDNA. The modified electrodes were characterized by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), impedance spectroscopy and atomic force microscope (AFM). The modified electrode can be used for determining DNA.     

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of hemoglobin on gold nanoparticle decorated carbon ionic liquid electrode

In this paper a carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE) was fabricated by using ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate ([EMIM]EtOSO₃) as modifier and further gold nanoparticles were in situ electrodeposited on the surface of CILE. The fabricated Au/CILE was used as a new platform for the immobilization of hemoglobin (Hb) with the help of a Nafion film. Electrochemical experimental results indicated that direct electron transfer of Hb was realized on the surface of Au/CILE with a pair of well-defined quasi-reversible redox peaks appeared. The formal peak potential (E⁰′) was obtained as −0.210 V (vs. SCE) in pH 7.0 phosphate buffer solution (PBS), which was the characteristic of Hb heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple. The fabricated Nafion/Hb/Au/CILE showed excellent electrocatalytic activity to the reduction of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and the reduction peak current was in proportional to TCA concentration in the range from 0.2 to 18.0 mmol/L with the detection limit as 0.16 mmol/L (S/N = 3). The proposed electrode showed good stability and reproducibility, and it had the potential application as a new third-generation electrochemical biosensor.     

Direct electrochemistry of enzymes from the cytochrome P450 2C family

The human cytochromes P450 are responsible for the clearance of ∼90% of xenobiotics yet comparatively little is known about their electrochemistry. Here we report the first direct electrochemistry of P450s from the 2C subfamily; one of the major groups of enzymes from this family. Specifically, the proteins that we have examined are recombinant human P450s 2C9, 2C18 and 2C19 and reversible Fe^III/II couples are seen in the absence of dioxygen. Even in the presence of trace amounts of dioxygen, a pronounced cathodic response is seen which is assigned to catalytic reduction of the bound dioxygen ligand by the ferrous P450.     

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of hemoglobin on a gold ion implantation-modified indium tin oxide electrode

In this paper, a gold nanoparticle-modified indium tin oxide electrode (Au/ITO) was prepared without the use of any cross-linker or stabilizer reagent. The prepared Au/ITO was used as a new platform to achieve the direct electron transfer between Hb and the modified electrode. The proposed electrode exhibited a pair of well-defined redox peaks with a formal potential of ?0.073 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The immobilized Hb showed excellent electrocatalytic activity toward H₂O₂ and the electrocatalytic current values were linear with the increasing concentration of H₂O₂ ranging from 1.0?×?10^?6?M to 7.0?×?10^?4?M. The detection limit was 2.0?×?10^?7?M (S/N?=?3) and the Michaelis–Menten constant was calculated to be 0.2 mM. The proposed electrode also showed high selectivity, long-term stability, and good reproducibility.     

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.     

Direct electrochemistry and bioelectrocatalysis of a class II non-symbiotic plant haemoglobin immobilised on screen-printed carbon electrodes

In this study, direct electron transfer (ET) has been achieved between an immobilised non-symbiotic plant haemoglobin class II from Beta vulgaris (nsBvHb2) and three different screen-printed carbon electrodes based on graphite (SPCE), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-SPCE), and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT-SPCE) without the aid of any electron mediator. The nsBvHb2 modified electrodes were studied with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and also when placed in a wall-jet flow through cell for their electrocatalytic properties for reduction of H₂O₂. The immobilised nsBvHb2 displayed a couple of stable and well-defined redox peaks with a formal potential (E°′) of ?33.5 mV (vs. Ag|AgCl|3 M KCl) at pH 7.4. The ET rate constant of nsBvHb2, k _s, was also determined at the surface of the three types of electrodes in phosphate buffer solution pH 7.4, and was found to be 0.50 s^?1 on SPCE, 2.78 s^?1 on MWCNT-SPCE and 4.06 s^?1 on SWCNT-SPCE, respectively. The average surface coverage of electrochemically active nsBvHb2 immobilised on the SPCEs, MWCNT-SPCEs and SWCNT-SPCEs obtained was 2.85?×?10^?10 mol cm^?2, 4.13?×?10^?10 mol cm^?2 and 5.20?×?10^?10 mol cm^?2. During the experiments the immobilised nsBvHb2 was stable and kept its electrochemical and catalytic activities. The nsBvHb2 modified electrodes also displayed an excellent response to the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) with a linear detection range from 1 μM to 1000 μM on the surface of SPCEs, from 0.5 μM to 1000 μM on MWCNT-SPCEs, and from 0.1 μM to 1000 μM on SWCNT-SPCEs. The lower limit of detection was 0.8 μM, 0.4 μM and 0.1 μM at 3σ at the SPCEs, the MWCNT-SPCEs, and the SWCNT-SPCEs, respectively, and the apparent Michaelis–Menten constant, $ {\hbox{K}}_{\rm{M}}^{\rm{app}} $ , for the H₂O₂ sensors was estimated to be 0.32 mM , 0.29 mM and 0.27 mM, respectively.     

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalytic characteristic of heme proteins immobilized in a new sol-gel polymer film

Heme proteins were immobilized on glass carbon electrodes by poly (N-isopropylac-yamide-co-3-methacryloxy-propyl-trimethoxysilane) (PNM) and exhibited a pair of well-defined, quasi-reversible cyclic voltammetric peaks at about -0.35 V versus a saturated calomel electrode in pH 7.0 buffer solution, corresponding to hemeFe(III)+e-->hemeFe(II). Some electrochemical parameters were calculated by performing nonlinear regression analysis of square wave voltammetry (SWV) experimental data. The formal potential was linearly dependent on pH, indicating the electron transfer of Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple accompanied by the transfer of proton. Ultraviolet visible and Fourier transform infrared spectra suggested that the conformation of proteins in the PNM films retained the essential feature of its native secondary structure. Atomic force microscopy images demonstrated the existence of interaction between heme proteins and PNM. N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) played an important role in immobilizing proteins and enhancing electron transfer between proteins and electrodes. Electrochemical catalytic reductions of hydrogen peroxide and trichloroacetic acid by proteins entrapped in PNM film were also discussed, showing the potential applicability of the film modified electrodes as a biosensor.     

Application of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to mechanistic electrochemistry: Oxidation of iodide at gold electrodes

The electrooxidation of dilute (1 mM) iodide at the gold-aqueous interface has been examined by rotating disk voltammetry combined with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in order to identify the surface species formed and hence to shed light on the electrooxidation mechanism. Marked changes in the SER spectra occur upon shifting the electrode potential through the region where faradaic current flows, the characteristic 123 and 158 cm⁻¹ bands associated with adsorbed iodide being supplemented and eventually supplanted by bands at 110, 145 and 160–175 cm⁻¹, the latter two being especially intense. The new bands are assigned to higher polyiodides and molecular iodine. The latter species appears to be the major interfacial product associated with faradaic current flow. Iodide forms an irreversibly adsorbed and electroinactive layer at gold in the absence of solution iodide, as evidenced by the survival of the 123 and 158 cm⁻¹ SERS bands even at far positive potentials under these conditions. The results obtained for dilute iodide solutions are compared and contrasted with those obtained at higher iodide concentrations. For the latter conditions, the observed “surface” Raman spectra arise from resonance enhancement of the thick insoluble iodine films and solution triiodide formed in the convective diffusion layer rather than from SERS of species present in the double layer. Criteria for distinguishing between these two possibilities for systems involving such electrogenerated species are described.