A Polypyrrole/Nanoclay Hybrid Film for Ultra-Sensitive Cardiac Troponin T Electrochemical Immunosensor.

An electrochemical immunosensor based on a nanohybrid film of carboxylated polypyrrole and amine nanoclay was developed for label-free detection of the human cardiac troponin T (cTnT). The nanohybrid film was formed in situ on the surface of the glassy carbon electrode, followed by the covalent immobilization of anti-troponin T antibodies by glutaraldehyde. Morphological and chemical characterizations of the nanohybrid film were performed by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Under the optimized conditions, a calibration curve for cTnT in spiked serum was obtained by square wave voltammetry, and a low limit of detection and quantification was achieved (0.35 and 1.05 pg mL-1, respectively). This was the first time that this type of nanohybrid film was used in the development of an immunosensor for cTnT that proved to be a simple and efficient strategy for the manufacture of a label-free electrochemical device that could be applied in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.

Pt-Pd bimetallic nanoparticles dispersed in an ionic liquid and peroxidase immobilized on nanoclay applied in the development of a biosensor.

Pt-Pd bimetallic alloy nanoparticles (NPs) dispersed in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (Pt-Pd-BMI·PF6) were employed together with a peroxidase (PO) enzyme from cauliflower immobilized on nanoclay for the development of a new biosensor for polyphenol determination by square-wave voltammetry (SWV). The biosensor demonstrated good repeatability and reproducibility, low limit of detection (LOD = 3.7 × 10(-7) mol L(-1) for caffeic acid (CA)), and adequate lifetime and stability (maintaining over 80% of the response over 80 days of evaluation, and allowing over 600 measurements by SWV for each electrode). Under optimized conditions, the proposed biosensor was applied in the determination of the bioelectrochemical polyphenolic index (BPI) for samples of commercial white wine, using CA as the phenolic compound standard. The recovery of CA from wine samples ranged from 95.5 to 108.3%. The values for the polyphenolic content obtained using the proposed biosensor showed a good correlation (r = 0.990) with those obtained with the reference spectrophotometric method (Folin-Ciocalteu method). Therefore, the proposed biosensor represents a useful tool for the rapid and accurate monitoring of polyphenolic content in wine samples and may also be applicable to other beverage samples, such as juices and teas.

Development of biosensor for phenolic compounds containing PPO in ß-cyclodextrin modified support and iridium nanoparticles.

A biosensor based on the iridium nanoparticles dispersed in ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (Ir-BMI·PF6) and a celery (Apium graveolens) extract as a source of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) was constructed. A modified support based on ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CDEP) was used for enzyme immobilization. The behavior of phenolic compounds was investigated by square-wave voltammetry and rutin was selected by presenting the greatest signal. The best performance was obtained with a composition of 70:10:10:10% (w/w/w/w) of the graphite powder:ß-CDEP:Nujol:Ir-BMI·PF6 composition, a PPO concentration of 500unitsmL(-1), in 0.1M phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.0) with frequency, pulse amplitude and scan increment at 100Hz, 60mV, and 3.0mV, respectively. Under optimized conditions, the cathodic currents increased linearly for the rutin concentration range of 1.3×10(-7)-2.0×10(-6)M with a detection limit of 7.9×10(-8)M. This sensor demonstrated acceptable repeatability and reproducibility and the results for the rutin recovery ranged from 92.8 to 103.4%. A relative error of 0.7% was obtained in the rutin determination in simulated samples.

A bio-inspired sensor based on surfactant film and Pd nanoparticles.

A bio-inspired complex, [(bpbpmp)Fe(III)(m-OAc)(2)Cu(II)](ClO(4)), was combined with a zwitterionic surfactant (ImS3-14) stabilizing pre-formed palladium nanoparticles and coated on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). This bio-inspired surfactant film was capable of catalyzing redox reactions of dihydroxybenzenes, thus allowing the simultaneous electrochemical quantification of CC and HQ in cigarette residue samples by square-wave voltammetry (SWV). The best experimental conditions were obtained using phosphate buffer solution (0.1 mol L(-1), pH 7.0), with 1.3 nmol of the bio-inspired complex, 0.15 µmol of the surfactant and 1.08 nmol of Pd. The best voltammetric parameters were: frequency 100 Hz, pulse amplitude 40 mV and step potential 8 mV. The limits of detection calculated from simultaneous curves were found to be 2.2 × 10(-7) and 2.1 × 10(-7) mol L(-1) for HQ and CC respectively.

A novel support for laccase immobilization: cellulose acetate modified with ionic liquid and application in biosensor for methyldopa detection.

A material based on cellulose acetate (CA) and the room temperature ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BMI·N(Tf)(2)) was developed and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive spectroscopy and infrared analysis. Laccase (Lac) from Aspergillus oryzae was immobilized in this material to investigate the behavior of methyldopa by square-wave voltammetry. Under optimized conditions, the Lac biosensor based on CA/BMI·N(Tf)(2) exhibited an excellent electrocatalytic performance: the analytical curve showed good linear range for methyldopa concentrations from 34.8 to 370.3 µM with a detection limit of 5.5 µM. This sensor demonstrated acceptable stability (ca. 60 days; at least 350 determinations), good repeatability and reproducibility (relative standard deviations of 1.5 and 4.3%, respectively). The recovery study of methyldopa in pharmaceutical formulations ranged from 94.1 to 105.9%. The determination of this substance using the biosensor compared favorably with that using a spectrophotometry procedure at the 95% confidence level, and indicated potential application to methyldopa determination in pharmaceutical samples.

Determination of thiodicarb using a biosensor based on alfalfa sprout peroxidase immobilized in self-assembled monolayers.

A biosensor based on alfalfa sprout (Medicago sativa) homogenate as a source of peroxidase is proposed for the determination of thiodicarb by square-wave voltammetry. This enzyme was immobilized in self-assembled monolayers of l-cysteine on a gold electrode. Several parameters were investigated to evaluate the optimum conditions for operation of the biosensor. The analytical curve was linear for thiodicarb concentrations of 2.27 x 10(-6) to 4.40 x 10(-5) mol L(-1) with a detection limit of 5.75 x 10(-7) mol L(-1). The lifetime of the Au-alfalfa sprout-SAMs was 20 days (at least 220 determinations). The average recovery of thiodicarb from samples of vegetable extracts ranged from 99.02 to 101.04%. The results obtained for thiodicarb in vegetable extracts using the proposed method are in close agreement with those using a high performance liquid chromatography procedure at the 95% confidence level.

Electroanalytical determination of estriol hormone using a boron-doped diamond electrode.

A boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode was used for the electroanalytical determination of estriol hormone in a pharmaceutical product and a urine sample taken during pregnancy by square-wave voltammetry. The optimized experimental conditions were: (1) a supporting electrolyte solution of NaOH at a pH of 12.0, and (2) a frequency of 20 Hz, a pulse height of 30 mV and a scan increment of 2 mV (for the square-wave parameters). The analytical curve was linear in the concentration range of 2.0 x 10(-7) to 2.0 x 10(-5) mol L(-1) (r=0.9994), with a detection limit of 1.7 x 10(-7) mol L(-1) and quantification limit of 8.5 x 10(-7) mol L(-1). Recoveries of estriol were in the range of 98.6-101.0%, for the pharmaceutical sample, and 100.2-103.4% for the urine sample, indicating no significant matrix interference effects on the analytical results. The accuracy of the electroanalytical methodology proposed was compared to that of the radioimmunoassay method. The values for the relative error between the proposed and standard methods were -7.29% for the determination of estriol in the commercial product and -4.98% in a urine sample taken during pregnancy. The results obtained suggest a reliable and interesting alternative method for electroanalytical determination of estriol in pharmaceutical products and urine samples taken during pregnancy using a boron-doped diamond electrode.

Biosensor for chlorogenic acid based on an ionic liquid containing iridium nanoparticles and polyphenol oxidase.

A biosensor based on the ionic liquid, 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate containing dispersed iridium nanoparticles (Ir-BMI.PF(6)) and polyphenol oxidase was constructed. This enzyme was obtained from the sugar apple (Annona squamosa), immobilized in chitosan ionically crosslinked with oxalate. The biosensor was used for determination of chlorogenic acid by square wave voltammetry. The polyphenol oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of chlorogenic acid to the corresponding o-quinone, which is electrochemically reduced back to this substance at +0.25V vs. Ag/AgCl. Under optimized operational conditions the chlorogenic acid concentration was linear in the range of 3.48x10(-6) to 4.95x10(-5)mol L(-1) with a detection limit of 9.15x10(-7)mol L(-1). The biosensor was applied in the determination of chlorogenic acid in organic and decaffeinated coffee and the results compared with those obtained using the capillary electrophoresis method. The recovery study for chlorogenic acid in these samples gave values of 93.2-105.7%.

Synergic effect studies of the bi-enzymatic system laccase-peroxidase in a voltammetric biosensor for catecholamines.

Several bi-enzymatic carbon paste biosensors modified with enzymes laccase from Pleurotus ostreatus fungi and peroxidase from zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) were constructed for evaluating the synergic effect of the two enzymes on the voltammetric biosensor response for various catecholamines. Initially was investigated the effect of pH from 5.0 to 7.5, temperature from 25 to 50 degrees C, initial stirring time from 30 to 150 s, scan rate from 10 to 60 mVs(-1) and potential pulse amplitude from 10 to 60 mV on the biosensor response for several catecholamines such as dopamine, adrenaline, isoprenaline and l-dopa. It was observed a biosensor signal increase employing both enzymes, indicating thus there is a synergic effect between laccase and peroxidase, verified also in spectrophotometric studies, in the determination of these catecholamines.