Biosensing Properties of TitanateNanotube Films: Selective Detection of Dopamine in the Presence of Ascorbate and Uric Acid

A novel strategy based on titanate nanotubes (TNTs) for developing an electrochemical biosensor is proposed. Stable TNT films are fabricated on glassy carbon (GC) electrodes by a casting technique. Cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectrometry, and linear‐sweep voltammetry are used to characterize the TNT membrane‐covered GC electrodes (TNT/GCs). The TNT film is shown to demonstrate selectivity by charge exclusion. The TNT film is also shown to be capable of improving the mass transport to the electrode surface and electron transfer between dopamine (DA) and the electrode. Therefore, DA exhibits a quasireversible electrochemical reaction at the TNT/GC electrode. The voltammetric signal of DA is well resolved from those of ascorbate (AA) and uric acid (UA) at the TNT/GC electrode; therefore, DA can be selectively detected in the presence of a large excess of AA and UA at physiological pH. The linear calibration curve for DA is obtained over the concentration range 0.1–30 μM in a physiological solution that contains 0.1 mM AA and 0.3 mM UA.     

Preparation and characterization of room temperature ionic liquid/single-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites and their application to the direct electrochemistry of heme-containing proteins/enzymes

This work describes the formation and possible electrochemical application of a novel nanocomposite based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and imidazolium-based room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim]BF₄, a hydrophilic RTIL) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([bmim]PF₆, a hydrophobic RTIL). The nanocomposites ([bmim]BF₄-SWNTs, and [bmim]PF₆-SWNTs) were formed by simply grinding the SWNTs with the respective RTIL. The results of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy indicated that the nanocomposites were formed by adsorption of an imidazolium ion on the surface of SWNTs via the “cation-π” interaction. SEM images showed that [bmim]BF₄-SWNTs (or [bmim]PF₆-SWNTs) nanocomposites could uniformly cover the surface of a glassy carbon (GC) electrode resulting in a RTILs-SWNTs/GC modified electrode with a high stability. The RTILs-SWNTs composite could be readily used as a matrix to immobilize heme-containing proteins/enzymes (myoglobin, cytochrome c, and horseradish peroxidase) without undergoing denaturation, as was verified by UV-vis and circular dichroic (CD) spectroscopic results. The voltammetric results showed that heme-containing proteins/enzymes entrapped in RTILs-SWNTs composites displayed a pair of well-defined, stable redox peaks, which were ascribed to their direct electron-transfer reactions. The results of controlled experiments showed that the positive charged imidazolium ion played a significant effect on the electrochemical parameters, such as the redox peak separation and the value of the formal potentials, etc., of the electron-transfer reaction of non-neutral species dissolved in solution or immobilized on the electrode surface. Further results demonstrated that the heme-containing proteins/enzymes entrapped in RTILs-SWNTs composites could still retain their bioelectrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. The results depicted in this work may pave a new avenue to electrocatalysis, proteins/enzymes electrochemistry, and bioelectrochemical synthesis, etc.     

Review of Recent Advances in Non-invasive, Flexi-ble, Wearable Sweat Monitoring Sensors

Wearable health-monitoring devices are novel and integral developments based on smart-textiles. Conventional wearable technology consists of micro-controllers and a variety of electronic devices embedded on the skin, or in-corporated into the apparels, where they act as signal receptors, analytical devices and transmitters of the signals generated from the human body. Invasive methods are currently more commonly practiced where biofluids are obtained by penetrating the body by incision or injection, while in non-invasive methods no such penetrations take place. A critical review of current non-invasive wearable technology, including colorimetric, enzymatic, pH based, electrochemical and conductivity sensors, is presented in this paper along with the challenges and limitations they pose. Additionally, novel techniques of analysis have been explored concluding that a textile-based medium offers higher compatibility for in-tegration of such sensors in comparison to other existing substrates.     

Single-walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with poly(nile blue A) and their application to dehydrogenase-based biosensors

This paper reports a new type of nanocomposite of poly(nile blue A) with single-walled carbon nanotubes (PNb-SWNTs). This nanocomposite was fabricated by the functionalization of SWNTs with poly(nile blue A), which was formed by electropolymerizing an Nb monomer through the use of cyclic voltammetry. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to characterize the PNb-SWNTs. The cyclic voltammetric results indicated that PNb-SWNTs were able to electrocatalyze the oxidation of NADH at a very low potential (ca. −80 mV versus SCE) and lead to a substantial decrease in the overpotential by more than 700 mV compared with the bare glassy carbon (GC) electrode. A biosensor, ADH-PNb-SWNT/GC, was developed by immobilizing alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) onto the PNb-SWNT/GC electrode surface. The biosensor showed electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of ethanol with a good stability, reproducibility, and higher biological affinity. Under optimal conditions, the electrochemical response to detect ethanol has the typical characteristics of Michaelis-Menten kinetics with an apparent Michaelis-Menten constant of  ∼ 6.30 mM, and depends linearly on the concentration of ethanol from 0.1 to 3.0 mM (with a correlation coefficient of 0.998), with a detection limit of ∼50 μM (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3). The facile procedure of immobilizing ADH used in the present work can promote the development of electrochemical research for enzymes (proteins), biosensors, biofuel cells and other bioelectrochemical devices.     

Characterization of permselective coatings electrosynthesized on Pt-Ir from the three phenylenediamine isomers for biosensor applications

The permeability of polymers, electrosynthesized at neutral pH on Pt-Ir cylinders from each of the three isomers of phenylenediamine (oPD, mPD and pPD), to H₂O₂ (signal transduction molecule in many oxidase-based biosensors) and ascorbic acid (AA, archetypal interference species in biological applications of biosensors) was measured, and used to determine the permselectivity of the three polymers. PmPD was the coating with the greatest permselectivity for H₂O₂ over AA, for low concentrations of AA. For AA levels greater than 200 μM, however, poly-ortho-phenylenediamine (PoPD) was superior. Furthermore, stability studies indicated that the permselectivity of PmPD degraded rapidly, even after 1 day, supporting the choice of PoPD as the permselective membrane for biosensor implantation where AA levels are high, such as in brain monitoring. A variety of techniques were used to gain further insight into the PPD layers, specifically electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance, mass spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy. Together these studies indicate that PmPD forms the thickest layer (∼15 nm) and is the least soluble of the polymers, that the PoPD layer is ∼4 nm thick and may consist mostly of tetramers, while PpPD is the thinnest (∼3 nm) and appears to consist of trimers.     

Smart sensors/actuators for biomedical applications: Review

This paper reflects on review of smart sensor activities for biomedical applications. The rise of biotechnology has provided innovative development of new therapies and detection methods for life threatening diseases. As a worldwide research focus, there is especially a strong interest in the use of microsystems in health care, particularly as smart implantable devices. Recent years have seen an increasing activity of hip and knee replacement and other type of implants, which are some of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in the world. Loosening of hip prosthesis is the dominant issue for many patients who undergo a hip arthroplasty. Artificial joints are subject to chronic infections associated with bacterial biofilms, which only can be eradicated by the traumatic removal of the implant followed by sustained intravenous antibiotic therapy. This review focuses on the clinical experience using all kinds of smart implants like orthopedic implants instrumented with strain gauges, retina implant system using image sensors. Technical design improvements will enhance function, quality of life, and longevity of total knee arthroplasty and all other kind of implants. Application of biocompatible nanomaterials in implantable biosensors for continuous monitoring of metabolites is an area of sustained scientific and technological interests.     

Amperometric urea biosensors based on the entrapment of urease in polypyrrole films

Urease (Urs) was immobilized in electrochemically prepared polypyrrole (PPy) and the resulting films were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS). The enzymatic activity of Urs entrapped in the PPy matrix was confirmed by the catalytic conversion of urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia, when urea was detected amperometrically at different concentrations in standard samples and commercial fertilizers. The PPy/Urs biosensors exhibited selectivity, a relatively high efficiency at urea concentrations below 3.0 mmol L⁻¹, and a sensitivity to urea of 2.41 μA cm⁻² mmol⁻¹ L.     

Surface plasmon resonance-based biosensors: From the development of different SPR structures to novel surface functionalization strategies

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based biosensors are very powerful tools for the study of biomolecular interactions, chemical detection and immunoassays. This paper reviews the performance of various SPR structures and detection schemes focusing on propagating surface plasmons generated in planar structures. Some aspects of their surface functionalization, the key element which imparts biofunctionality to these structures and hence transforming them into biosensors, will also be discussed accordingly. The ultimate performance of SPR-based biosensors will thus be determined by both their inherent optical performance and suitable surface functionalization.