Electrochemical Biosensing Platform Using Carbon Nanotube Activated Glassy Carbon Electrode

Carbon Nanomaterials in Electrochemical Detection

This chapter overviews the use of carbon nanomaterials in the field of electroanalysis and considers why carbon-based nanomaterials are widely utilized and explores the current diverse range that is available to the practising electrochemist, which spans from carbon nanotubes to carbon nanohorns through to the recent significant attention given to graphene.

Electrochemical sensor for guanine using a self-assembled monolayer of 1,8,15,22-tetraaminophthalocyanatonickel(II) on glassy carbon electrode

This article describes the selective determination of guanine (G) using the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 1,8,15,22-tetraaminophthalocyanatonickel(II) (4α-Ni(II)TAPc) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) in 0.2 M acetate buffer solution (pH 4.0). The SAM of 4α-Ni(II)TAPc was formed on GCE by spontaneous adsorption of 1 mM 4α-Ni(II)TAPc in dimethylformamide (DMF). It shows two pairs of redox waves corresponding to Ni(III)/Ni(II) and Ni(III)Pc(-1)/Ni(III)Pc(-2) in 0.2 M acetate buffer solution. The SAM modified electrode exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of G by enhancing its oxidation current with 150 mV less positive potential shift in contrast to bare GCE. Furthermore, the SAM modified electrode selectively determines G in the presence of high concentration of adenine (A). In differential pulse voltammetry measurements, the oxidation current response of G was increased linearly in the concentration range of 10 to 100 μM, and a detection limit was found to be 3×10(-8)M (signal/noise=3).

Recent development of nano-materials used in DNA biosensors

As knowledge of the structure and function of nucleic acid molecules has increased, sequence-specific DNA detection has gained increased importance. DNA biosensors based on nucleic acid hybridization have been actively developed because of their specificity, speed, portability, and low cost. Recently, there has been considerable interest in using nano-materials for DNA biosensors. Because of their high surface-to-volume ratios and excellent biological compatibilities, nano-materials could be used to increase the amount of DNA immobilization; moreover, DNA bound to nano-materials can maintain its biological activity. Alternatively, signal amplification by labeling a targeted analyte with nano-materials has also been reported for DNA biosensors in many papers. This review summarizes the applications of various nano-materials for DNA biosensors during past five years. We found that nano-materials of small sizes were advantageous as substrates for DNA attachment or as labels for signal amplification; and use of two or more types of nano-materials in the biosensors could improve their overall quality and to overcome the deficiencies of the individual nano-components. Most current DNA biosensors require the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in their protocols. However, further development of nano-materials with smaller size and/or with improved biological and chemical properties would substantially enhance the accuracy, selectivity and sensitivity of DNA biosensors. Thus, DNA biosensors without PCR amplification may become a reality in the foreseeable future.

Fabrication of disposable sensors for biomolecule detection using hydrazine electrocatalyst

We have developed electrochemical DNA and protein sensors on screen-printed electrodes based on the catalytic activity of hydrazine. The sensors use carboxylic acid-functionalized conductive polymer, poly-5,2',5',2''-terthiophene-3'-carboxylic acid (polyTTCA) to make firm immobilization of dendrimer (DEN) through the covalent bond formation between the carboxylic acid groups of polymer and amine groups of dendrimer. The gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were adsorbed on the remaining amine groups of dendrimer. The thiolated DNA probe or primary antibody was subsequently immobilized on the AuNP-covered dendrimer surfaces. Avidin-labeled hydrazine (Av-Hyd) was then immobilized on the sensor surfaces through the avidin-biotin interaction between the Av-Hyd unit and the biotinylated DNA or secondary antibody. The electrocatalytic reduction current of H(2)O(2) was measured by differential pulse voltammetry. The detection signal was amplified by the polyTTCA/DEN assembly loaded with AuNPs (approximately 3.5 nm) onto which target analyte-linked Av-Hyd was adsorbed. Linear dynamic ranges for the electrocatalytic detection of DNA and human immunoglobulin G (IgG) extending from 50 fM to 7.5 nM and from 40 fg/ml to 2.5 ng/ml, respectively, were observed along with detection limits of approximately 30 fM and 25 fg/ml, respectively. The low detection limit of the disposable sensors offers good promise for practical DNA and protein detection.