A Bioorganometallic Approach for the Electrochemical Detection of Proteins: A Study on the Interaction of Ferrocene–Peptide Conjugates with Papain in Solution and on Au Surfaces

Electroactive self-assembled monolayers on gold via bipodal dithiazepane anchoring groups

Novel dithiazepane-functionalized ferrocenyl-phenylethynyl oligomers 1 and 2 have been synthesized. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of these ferrocene derivatives have been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ellipsometry, and cyclic voltammetry. It has been shown by XPS that monolayers of the dithiazepane-anchored molecules on gold electrodes contain gold-thiolate species. Cyclic voltammetry of the SAMs were characteristic of stable electroactive monolayers even for single-component SAMs of 1 and 2, with the more ideal responses recorded for the two-component SAMs diluted with undecanethiol. The small variation in peak splittings at progressively higher scan rates in these SAMs makes dithiazepane-bridged redox species promising candidates for further studies on molecular wires with bipodal anchoring.

Protein modulation of electrochemical signals: application to immunobiosensing

Herein we present a label-free immunobiosensor based on the modulation of amperometric signals of surface bound redox species when immersed in a protein environment which is applicable to either the detection of antibodies or the detection of small molecules such as drugs or pesticides.

Picomolar detection of protease using peptide/single walled carbon nanotube/gold nanoparticle-modified electrode

Picomolar electrochemical detection of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 protease (HIV-1 PR) using ferrocene (Fc)-pepstatin-modified surfaces has been presented. Gold electrode surface was modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNP) or thiolated single walled carbon nanotubes/gold nanoparticles (SWCNT/AuNP). Thiol-terminated Fc-pepstatin was then self-assembled on such surfaces as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope. The interaction between the Fc-pepstatin-modified substrates and HIV-1 PR was studied by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Both electrode materials showed enhanced electrochemical responses to increasing concentrations of HIV-1 PR with shifting to higher potentials as well as decrease in the overall signal intensity. However, the sensing electrode modified with thiolated SWCNTs/AuNPs showed remarkable detection sensitivity with an estimated detection limit of 0.8 pM.