Activity of AC electrokinetically immobilized horseradish peroxidase

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is an AC electrokinetic effect mainly used to manipulate cells. Smaller particles, like virions, antibodies, enzymes, and even dye molecules can be immobilized by DEP as well. In principle, it was shown that enzymes are active after immobilization by DEP, but no quantification of the retained activity was reported so far. In this study, the activity of the enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is quantified after immobilization by DEP. For this, HRP is immobilized on regular arrays of titanium nitride ring electrodes of 500 nm diameter and 20 nm widths. The activity of HRP on the electrode chip is measured with a limit of detection of 60 fg HRP by observing the enzymatic turnover of Amplex Red and H₂O₂ to fluorescent resorufin by fluorescence microscopy. The initial activity of the permanently immobilized HRP equals up to 45% of the activity that can be expected for an ideal monolayer of HRP molecules on all electrodes of the array. Localization of the immobilizate on the electrodes is accomplished by staining with the fluorescent product of the enzyme reaction. The high residual activity of enzymes after AC field induced immobilization shows the method's suitability for biosensing and research applications.     

A Silicon Nanowire‐Based Electrochemical Sensor with High Sensitivity and Electrocatalytic Activity

A new kind of silicon nanowire (SiNWs)‐based nanoelectrode assembly, a gold‐nanoparticle‐decorated silicon nanowire array (AuNPs@SiNWsAr), is employed for the construction of high‐performance electrochemical sensors. Significantly, the electrochemical nanosensors are capable of sensitive detection of various electroactive molecules (e.g., dopamine (DA), ascorbic acid (AA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and glucose). Further, DA molecules loaded on the surface of AuNPs@SiNWsAr preserve stable high electroactivity overnight without special protection, while free DA molecules may lose their biological activity due to severe oxidization in ambient environment. These findings may offer new opportunities for the design of high‐performance electrochemical nanosensors with high sensitivity and robust stability.     

Morphology-Directed Selective Production of Ethylene or Ethane from CO2 on a Cu Mesopore Electrode

The electrocatalytic conversion of CO₂ to value-added hydrocarbons is receiving significant attention as a promising way to close the broken carbon-cycle. While most metal catalysts produce C₁ species, such as carbon monoxide and formate, the production of various hydrocarbons and alcohols comprising more than two carbons has been achieved using copper (Cu)-based catalysts only. Methods for producing specific C₂ reduction outcomes with high selectivity, however, are not available thus far. Herein, the morphological effect of a Cu mesopore electrode on the selective production of C₂ products, ethylene or ethane, is presented. Cu mesopore electrodes with precisely controlled pore widths and depths were prepared by using a thermal deposition process on anodized aluminum oxide. With this simple synthesis method, we demonstrated that C₂ chemical selectivity can be tuned by systematically altering the morphology. Supported by computational simulations, we proved that nanomorphology can change the local pH and, additionally, retention time of key intermediates by confining the chemicals inside the pores.     

Catalytic activity of glucose oxidase after dielectrophoretic immobilization on nanoelectrodes

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is an AC electrokinetic effect that is proven to be effective for the immobilization of not only cells, but also of macromolecules, for example, antibodies and enzyme molecules. In our previous work, we have already demonstrated the high catalytic activity of immobilized horseradish peroxidase after DEP. To evaluate the suitability of the immobilization method for sensing or research in general, we want to test it for other enzymes, too. In this study, glucose oxidase (GOX) from Aspergillus niger was immobilized on TiN nanoelectrode arrays by DEP. Fluorescence microscopy showed the intrinsic fluorescence of the immobilized enzymes flavin cofactor on the electrodes. The catalytic activity of immobilized GOX was detectable, but a fraction of less than 1.3% of the maximum activity that was expected for a full monolayer of immobilized enzymes on all electrodes was stable for multiple measurement cycles. Therefore, the effect of DEP immobilization on the catalytic activity strongly depends on the used enzyme.     

Flow Injection Amperometric Detection at Enzyme‐Modified Gold Nanoelectrodes

Gold nanotubular electrode ensembles were prepared by using electroless deposition of the metal within the pores of polycarbonate particle track‐etched membranes. Glucose oxidase (Gox), used as a model enzyme, has been immobilized onto preformed self‐assembled monolayers (mercaptoethylamine or mercaptopropionic acid) on electroless gold via cross‐linking with glutaraldehyde or covalent attachment by carbodiimide coupling. Flow‐injection analysis systems in flow‐through or wall‐jet configurations using these Gox‐modified nanoelectrodes are described. The influence of different experimental parameters (i.e., applied potential, flow rate, interferents…?) on the analytical response of the sensor to glucose has been evaluated. Under optimized conditions, very reproducible results (standard deviations <4%, n=38) were obtained, linear calibration was achieved in the 2×10^?4 M to 3×10^?2 M concentration range and the detection limit was 2×10^?4 M. Moreover, no significant interferences from species like ascorbic and uric acids were observed at a potential of +0.9 V.     

Quantitative Measurement of Transmitters in Individual Vesicles in the Cytoplasm of Single Cells with Nanotip Electrodes

The quantification of vesicular transmitter content is important for studying the mechanisms of neurotransmission and malfunction in disease, and yet it is incredibly difficult to measure the tiny amounts of neurotransmitters in the attoliter volume of a single vesicle, especially in the cell environment. We introduce a novel method, intracellular vesicle electrochemical cytometry. A nanotip conical carbon‐fiber microelectrode was used to electrochemically measure the total content of electroactive neurotransmitters in individual nanoscale vesicles in single PC12 cells as these vesicles lysed on the electrode inside the living cell. The results demonstrate that only a fraction of the quantal neurotransmitter content is released during exocytosis. These data support the intriguing hypothesis that the vesicle does not open all the way during the normal exocytosis process, thus resulting in incomplete expulsion of the vesicular contents.     

Opto‐electrochemical In Situ Monitoring of the Cathodic Formation of Single Cobalt Nanoparticles

Single‐particle electrochemistry at a nanoelectrode is explored by dark‐field optical microscopy. The analysis of the scattered light allows in situ dynamic monitoring of the electrodeposition of single cobalt nanoparticles down to a radius of 65 nm. Larger sub‐micrometer particles are directly sized optically by super‐localization of the edges and the scattered light contains complementary information concerning the particle redox chemistry. This opto‐electrochemical approach is used to derive mechanistic insights about electrocatalysis that are not accessible from single‐particle electrochemistry.     

Electrocatalytic H2O2 amperometric detection using gold nanotube electrode ensembles

Arrays of nanoscopic gold tubes were prepared by electroless plating of the metal within the pores of nanoporous polycarbonate track-etched membranes. A procedure for fabricating an ensemble of enzyme-modified nanoelectrodes has been developed based on the efficient immobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to the gold nanotubes array using self-assembled monolayers (mercaptoethylamine or mercaptopropionic acid) as anchoring layers. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) was determined electrochemically by using gold nanoelectrode ensembles (NEE) functionalized or not in phosphate buffer solution (PB) with or without a mediator (hydroquinone, H₂Q). Bare NEE displays a remarkable sensitivity (14 μA mM⁻¹ in H₂Q at −0.1 V versus Ag/AgCl) compared to a classical gold macroelectrode (0.41 μA mM⁻¹). The gold nanoparticles that form the tubular structure act as excellent catalytic surfaces towards the oxidation and the reduction of H₂O₂. The HRP modified NEE presents a slightly lower sensitivity (9.5 μA mM⁻¹) than bare NEE. However, this system presents an enhanced limit of detection (up to 4 × 10⁻⁶ M) and a higher selectivity towards the detection of H₂O₂ over a wide range of potentials. The lifetime, fabrication reproducibility and measurement repeatability of the HRP enzyme electrode were evaluated with satisfactory results.