UV-ozone dry-cleaning process for indium oxide electrodes for protein electrochemistry

The present study reports, for the first time, on electrochemical responses of cytochrome c at a UV-ozone treated indium oxide electrode. Results from surface tension measurements indicate that UV-ozone treatment is an efficient cleaning procedure to remove organic species contamination on surfaces. Well-defined redox responses for cytochrome c were observed at a UV-ozone treated fully hydrophilic indium oxide electrode. Electrochemical parameters, including the diffusion coefficient, the heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant and the redox potential, were in good agreement with those previously reported. However, decrease in peak current for cytochrome c and [Fe(CN)₆]⁴⁻ were observed at a UV-ozone treated electrode. From XPS results, this behavior would be understood to indicate a decrease in homogeneous active electrode surface area by a decrease in conductivity of the indium oxide surface by UV-ozone treatment. Simple and effective UV-ozone treatment methods are useful for surface contamination sensitive electrochemistry.     

The effects of temperature and electrolyte at acidic and alkaline pH on the electron transfer reactions of cytochrome c at In2O3 electrodes

Spectroelectrochemical and electrochemical methods were used to investigate the characteristics of heterogeneous electron transfer between cytochrome c and indium oxide electrodes. A linear temperature dependence of the formal potential of cytochrome c was observed from 5 to 75 °C in acidic media. This behavior is attributed to a linear variation in the conformation of ferricytochrome c that results in an increase in solvent exposure of the solvent-exposed heme edge. A break in the linear temperature dependence of the formal potential occurred at 40 °C in alkaline media. This reflects a distinct conformational change that accompanies the onset of thermal denaturation of ferricytochrome c. The small change in reaction center entropy, ΔS°_rc, of ca. −54 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ in neutral and acidic media (5 to ⩾ 55 °C) and in alkaline media (below 40 °C) is consistent with a small shift to a more stable conformation of cytochrome c that occurs upon reduction.Adsorption of reactant and product was detected. The strength and type of adsorption were found to be temperature- and pH-dependent. The characteristics of electron transfer between cytochrome c and an electrode depend on bulk solvent properties and electrode surface characteristics.     

Electrochemistry and biosensing activity of cytochrome c immobilized in macroporous materials

An amperometric biosensor for hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) has been constructed by immobilizing cytochrome c on an indium/tin oxide (ITO) electrode modified with a macroporous material. Cyclic voltammetry showed that the direct and quasi-reversible electron transfer of cytochrome c proceeds without the need for an electron mediator. A surface-controlled electron transfer process can be observed with an apparent heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constant (k_s) of 29.2?s^?1. The biosensor displays excellent electrocatalytic responses to the reduction of H₂O₂ to give amperometric responses that increase steadily with the concentration of H₂O₂ in the range from 5???M to 2?mM. The detection limit is 0.61???M at pH?7.4. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (K_m) of the biosensor is 1.06?mM. This investigation not only provided a method for the direct electron transfer of cytochrome c on macroporous materials, but also established a feasible approach for durable and reliable detection of H₂O₂.

Electrochemistry and biosensing activity of cytochrome c immobilized on a mesoporous interface assembled from carbon nanospheres

We report on an amperometric biosensor for hydrogen peroxide. It is obtained via layer-by-layer assembly of ordered mesoporous carbon nanospheres and poly(diallyldimethylammonium) on the surface of an indium tin oxide (ITO) glass electrode and subsequent adsorption of cytochrome c. UV–vis absorption spectroscopy was applied to characterize the process of forming the assembled layers. Cyclic voltammetry revealed a direct and quasi-reversible electron transfer between cytochrome c and the surface of the modified ITO electrode. The surface-controlled electron transfer has an apparent heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constant (k _s ) of 5.9?±?0.2?s^?1 in case of the 5-layer electrode. The biosensor displays good electrocatalytic response to the reduction of H₂O₂, and the amperometric signal increase steadily with the concentration of H₂O₂ in the range from 5?μM to 1.5?mM. The detection limit is 1?μM at pH 7.4. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (K _m ) of the sensor is 0.53?mM. We assume that the observation of a direct electron transfer of cytochrome c on mesoporous carbon nanospheres may form the basis for a feasible approach for durable and reliable detection of H₂O₂.

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.     

Surface functions of 2-mercaptopyridine, 2-mercaptopyrazine and 2-mercaptoquinoxaline modified Au(1 1 1) electrodes for direct rapid electron transfer of cytochrome c

Surface functions of modified electrodes for the rapid electron transfer of cytochrome c have been examined by using new surface modifiers. 2-Mercaptopyrazine (2-PyZSH) and 2-mercaptoquinoxaline (or 2-mercaptobenzopyrazine, 2-MQ) modified Au(1 1 1) electrodes gave well-defined cyclic voltammmograms of cytochrome c, while a 2-mercaptopyridine (2-PySH) modified electrode gave no response. The STM images of 2-PySH and 2-PyZSH modified surfaces were similar to each other, suggesting 2-PySH and 2-PyZSH adsorbed at both thiolate S and pyridine (or pyrazine) N atoms with pyridine (or pyrazine) ring being perpendicular to the electrode surface. The 2-PyZSH modified surface has another pyrazine N atom faced to the solution, through which cytochrome c can interact, and the double layer capacitance data of the electrode gave more hydrophilic nature than the 2-PySH modified surface. On the other hand, although 2-MQ was suggested to adsorb on the electrode in a similar manner to 2-PySH and 2-PyZSH to give N atom at the solution side, the 2-MQ modified surface showed less hydrophilicity than the 2-PySH modified surface due to the quinoxaline ring. These results clearly reveal that the pyridine and pyrazine N atoms faced to the solution (rather than the hydrophilicity of the electrode surface) are important for the rapid electron transfer of cytochrome c on these modified electrodes.     

Reduction of cytochrome c at a lipid bilayer modified electrode

The reduction of horse heart cytochrome c has been investigated at a platinum electrode modified with a lipid bilayer membrane (BLM) which immobilized vinyl ferrocene as an electron mediator. The current-voltage curves show that the direct electrochemistry of cytochrome c at the metal electrode occurs quite efficiently. An adsorption equilibrium constant for cytochrome at the BLM surface, as well as an electron transfer rate constant between the protein and the modified electrode have been estimated from these results. The values of both parameters are much higher than those reported with other types of electrode modifications, indicating that a lipid bilayer-modified platinum electrode system using vinyl ferrocene as a mediator provides substantial improvements in electrochemical activity of cytochrome c at metal electrodes. The potential for modifying and utilizing this new class of “biomembrane-like” electrode surface for metalloprotein electrochemistry is briefly discussed.     

Gold nanoparticles attached NH2+ ion implantation-modified indium tin oxide electrode: Characterization and electrochemical studies

An NH2+ ion implantation-modified indium tin oxide film was prepared and the implantation of amino groups on the indium tin oxide substrate was verified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis.The gold nanoparticles attached surface could be obtained by self-assembly of different sized colloidal gold nanoparticles onto the NH2+ ion implantation-modified indium tin oxide surface.By scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical techniques,the as-prepared AuNPs attached NH2+ ion implantation-modified indium tin oxide electrode was characterized and compared with bare indium tin oxide electrode.Using a [Fe(CN)6]3 /[Fe(CN)6]4 redox probe,the increasingly facile heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics resulting from the attached gold nanoparticle arrays was observed.The gold nanoparticle arrays exhibited high catalytic activity toward the electro-oxidation of nitric oxide,which could provide electroanalytical application for nitric oxide sensing.     

Gold nanoparticle/alkanedithiol conductive films self-assembled onto gold electrode: Electrochemistry and electroanalytical application for voltammetric determination of trace amount of catechol

This paper describes novel electrochemical properties of gold nanoparticles/alkanedithiol conductive films and their electroanalytical applications for voltammetric determination of trace amount of one kind of environmental pollutants, catechol. The conductive films are prepared by closely packing 12-nm diameter gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) onto Au electrodes modified with the self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanedithiols (i.e., HS(CH₂)_nSH, n = 3, 6, 9). The assembly of the Au-NPs onto the SAM-modified electrodes essentially restores the heterogeneous electron transfer between Au substrate and redox species in solution phase that is almost totally blocked by the SAMs and, as a result, the prepared Au-NP/SAM-modified electrodes possess a good electrode reactivity without a remarkable barrier toward the heterogeneous electron transfer. Moreover, the prepared Au-NP/SAM-modified electrodes are found to exhibit a largely reduced interfacial capacitance, compared with bare Au electrode. These electrochemical properties of the Au-NP/SAM-modified electrodes essentially make them very useful for electroanalytical applications, which is illustrated by voltammetric determination of trace amount detection of environmental pollutant, catechol.     

The indirect coulometric titration of cytochrome c oxidase with cytochrome c

The indirect coulometric titration of cytochrome c oxidase and dioxygen using cytochrome c as a mediator is described. Results of both the indirect coulometric titrations and the cyclic voltammetric experiments reported herein verify that the reaction mechanism involves the catalytic regeneration of the electroactive species, the cytochrome c mediator, with the selective reduction of cytochrome c oxidase alone. During the indirect coulometric titrations dioxygen is reduced to water only by cytochrome c oxidase and not by either direct reduction at the electrode surface or reaction with cytochrome c. This system utilizes the electron transfer selectivity of cytochrome c for cytochrome c oxidase over dioxygen and offers a means by which the reaction of cytochrome c oxidase and dioxygen can be examined.     

Simultaneous determination of adrenaline,uric acid,and cysteine using bifunctional electrocatalyst of ruthenium oxide nanoparticles

In this study, ruthenium oxide nanoparticles were electrochemically deposited on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (RuON-GCE). Electrochemical studies indicate that a modified electrode (RuON-GCE) plays the role of an excellent bifunctional electrocatalyst for the oxidation of adrenaline (AD) and uric acid (UA) in two different potentials. The charge transfer coefficient (α) and the heterogeneous charge transfer rate constant (k′) between the analytes and the electrodeposited nanoparticles were determined using cyclic voltammetry experiments. Through a different pulse voltammetric (DPV) method, the plot of the electrocatalytic current versus AD and UA concentrations emerged to be constituted of two linear segments with different sensitivities. Furthermore, the detection limits of AD and UA were estimated. In DPV, RuON-GCE could separate the oxidation peak potentials of AD, UA, and cysteine (Cys) present in the same solution though, at the bare GCE, the peak potentials were indistinguishable. Finally, the modified electrode activity was studied for the electrocatalytic determination of AD in an injection solution and UA in a human urine sample. The results were found satisfactory.     

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.     

Nickel electrodes as a cheap and versatile platform for studying structure and function of immobilized redox proteins

Practical use of many bioelectronic and bioanalytical devices is limited by the need of expensive materials and time consuming fabrication. Here we demonstrate the use of nickel electrodes as a simple and cheap solid support material for bioelectronic applications. The naturally nanostructured electrodes showed a surprisingly high electromagnetic surface enhancement upon light illumination such that immobilization and electron transfer reactions of the model redox proteins cytochrome b₅ (Cyt b₅) and cytochrome c (Cyt c) could be followed via surface enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy. It could be shown that the nickel surface, when used as received, promotes a very efficient binding of the proteins upon preservation of their native structure. The immobilized redox proteins could efficiently exchange electrons with the electrode and could even act as an electron relay between the electrode and solubilized myoglobin. Our results open up new possibility for nickel electrodes as an exceptional good support for bioelectronic devices and biosensors on the one hand and for surface enhanced spectroscopic investigations on the other hand.     

A study of the electron transfer and oxygen binding reactions of myoglobin

Quasi-reversible electron transfer kinetics are reported for sperm whale myoglobin reacting at tin-doped indium oxide electrodes. This reaction was studied by three different electrochemical methods; cyclic voltammetry (CV), single potential step chronoabsorptometry (SPS/CA) and derivative cyclic voltabsorptometry (DCVA). Kinetic parameters were determined from experiments which followed the purification of the protein, the pretreatment of the electrode surface and the removal of dioxygen from the sample solution. A formal heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant, k^0'. of 2.6 (±0.5) × 10⁻⁵ cm s⁻¹ and a transfer coefficient, α, of 0.48 (±0.05) were obtained using SPS/CA. These results are shown to correlate well with those obtained using a second spectroelectrochemical method, DCVA. Anodic and cathodic responses for the heterogeneous electron transfer of myoglobin can be observed using cyclic voltammetry, but these responses are not as reproducible as those that are obtained using the optical methods described here. The advantages of these optical methods over those of cyclic voltammetry are clear from this study.     

Reduction of cytochrome c at a lipid bilayer modified electrode

The reduction of horse heart cytochrome c has been investigated at a platinum electrode modified with a lipid bilayer membrane (BLM) which immobilized vinyl ferrocene as an electron mediator. The current—voltage curves show that the direct electrochemistry of cytochrome c at the metal electrode occurs quite efficiently. An adsorption equilibrium constant for cytochrome at the BLM surface, as well as an electron transfer rate constant between the protein and the modified electrode have been estimated from these results. The values of both parameters are much higher than those reported with other types of electrode modifications, indicating that a lipid bilayer-modified platinum electrode system using vinyl ferrocene as a mediator provides substantial improvements in electrochemical activity of cytochrome c at metal electrodes. The potential for modifying and utilizing this new class of “biomembrane-like” electrode surface for metalloprotein electrochemistry is briefly discussed.     

Preparation of Gold Nanotube by Direct Electrodeposition for Biosensors

A simple method to fabricate gold nanotube by means of a direct electrodeposition is constructed, utilizing anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) as a template. The performances of gold nanoelectrode have been characterized with cyclic voltammetric technique and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SEM image of as-prepared gold nanoelectrode shows that the surface of electrode was covered with honeycomb gold tube with average pore diameter 200 nm. Its cyclic voltammetric shows the peak current is 6.25 times larger than the bare Au electrode, so the new honeycomb gold nanoelectrode was obviously better than conventional gold electrode. Microperoxidase-11 (MP-11) was immobilized on the electrode and characterized with cyclic voltammetric technique. It was demonstrated that the gold nanotube not only could offer a friendly environment to immobilize MP-11, but also enhance the electron transfer ability between protein molecules and the underlying electrodes.     

Oxygen-reducing electrodes based on layer-by-layer assemblies of cytochrome c and laccasse

Electroactive multilayer assemblies combining the redox protein cytochrome c and the enzyme laccase were fabricated by the layer-by-layer adsorption technique on gold electrodes and were shown to be capable of direct oxygen reduction. Laccase from trametes versicolor was electrostatically immobilized on multilayer films consisting of cytochrome c and the polyelectrolyte polyanilinesulfonic acid. The layer formation was monitored by quartz crystal microbalance. The electrochemical behavior of the electrodes was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The resulting assembly exhibited a catalytic oxygen reduction current. This indicates a multi-step electron transport chain from the electrode via the cytochrome c layers towards laccase, and finally, to molecular oxygen. The catalytic efficiency of the electrodes was examined in the pH range from 4.5 to 7.0, showing highest enzymatic oxygen reduction at pH 4.5. Furthermore, the catalytic current was found to correlate linearly with the oxygen content of the solution. This suggests that the overall current is limited by the catalytic reduction of oxygen by the laccase rather than by the preceding electron transfer steps.     

A Simple Fabrication Method for Three‐Dimensional Gold Nanoparticle Electrodes and Their Application to the Study of the Direct Electrochemistry of Cytochrome c

A simple method for constructing gold nanoparticle‐modified electrodes with three‐dimensional nanostructures is demonstrated. The electrodes were prepared by casting citrate‐reduced AuNPs onto polycrystalline gold electrodes. The resultant electrodes had a large surface area‐to‐volume ratio, adequate for high protein loading and conferring high stability. The gold nanoparticle electrodes were covered with a self‐assembled monolayer of 11‐mercaptoundecanoic acid for electrostatic immobilization of cytochrome c (cyt c). At the electrode, direct, reversible electron transfer from cyt c was observed with remarkable stability. Moreover, an extremely high surface coverage of electrochemically active cyt c, 167 fully packed monolayers, was obtained through use of the electrode.     

Metalloporphyrin chemically modified glassy carbon electrodes as catalytic voltammetric sensors

Metalloporphyrin-coated glassy carbon electrodes are used as electrocatalytic voltammetric sensors for numerous clinically important solutes. For such compounds, heterogeneous charge- transfer rates are often very slow at carbon electrodes, leading to poorly defined voltammetric responses. The metalloporphyrin-modified electrodes are shown to decrease by several hundred millivolts the potential required for the oxidation of ascorbic acid, penicillamine, acetaminophen, dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, hydralazine, epinephrine, cysteine and oxalic acid. The faster rates of electron transfer result in a well defined voltammetric response and increased sensitivity. The differential pulse peaks for caffeic acid, ascorbic acid, acetaminophen and dopamine are enhanced by 18, 10.5, 9.4 and 8.4, respectively. When used for amperometric monitoring of flowing streams, the coated electrode permitted detection at lower potentials than at the naked surface and greatly facilitated assays of urine samples.