Room temperature ionic liquid doped DNA network immobilized horseradish peroxidase biosensor for amperometric determination of hydrogen peroxide

A colorimetric sensing platform for the determination of H2O2 using 2D-1D MoS2-CNT nanozymes

A novel colorimetric platform based on nano-composites of two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide nanosheets (MoS2 NSs) and one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanotubes (CNTs), called 2D-1D MoS2-CNT nanozyme, was fabricated for the selective and sensitive determination of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in soda water. The MoS2-CNT nanozyme was synthesized through a one-step solvothermal reduction method. The introduced CNTs could effectively prevent the stacking of MoS2 nanosheets (NSs) and not only expanded the interlayer distance of MoS2 NSs from 0.620 nm to 0.710 nm but also improved their specific surface. Under acidic conditions, the as-prepared 2D-1D MoS2-CNT nanozymes could oxidize the colorless 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to blue-oxidized TMB (oxTMB) in the presence of H2O2, resulting in enhanced peroxidase-like (POD-like) activity. The kinetic study showed that MoS2-CNT nanozyme had stronger catalytic activity than natural horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The linear range for H2O2 colorimetric determination was 5.00-500 μmol L-1 with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.40 μmol L-1. Furthermore, the established determination method was applied to actual samples and the recoveries of H2O2 spiked in soda water were in the range of 92.3-107%, showing feasibility for the analysis of food.

Electrocatalysis by Heme Enzymes—Applications in Biosensing

Heme proteins take part in a number of fundamental biological processes, including oxygen transport and storage, electron transfer, catalysis and signal transduction. The redox chemistry of the heme iron and the biochemical diversity of heme proteins have led to the development of a plethora of biotechnological applications. This work focuses on biosensing devices based on heme proteins, in which they are electronically coupled to an electrode and their activity is determined through the measurement of catalytic currents in the presence of substrate, i.e., the target analyte of the biosensor. After an overview of the main concepts of amperometric biosensors, we address transduction schemes, protein immobilization strategies, and the performance of devices that explore reactions of heme biocatalysts, including peroxidase, cytochrome P450, catalase, nitrite reductase, cytochrome c oxidase, cytochrome c and derived microperoxidases, hemoglobin, and myoglobin. We further discuss how structural information about immobilized heme proteins can lead to rational design of biosensing devices, ensuring insights into their efficiency and long-term stability.

DNA rearrangement on the octadecylamine modified graphite surface by heating and ultrasonic treatment

The evolution of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) assembly on octadecylamine (ODA) modified highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface by heating and ultrasonic treatment has been studied for the first time. We have observed that DNA on the ODA coated HOPG surface underwent dramatic morphological changes as a function of heating and ultrasonic treatment. Ordered DNA firstly changed to random aggregates by heating and then changed to three-dimensional (3D) networks by ultrasonic treatment. This finding points to previously unknown factors that impact graphite-DNA interaction and opens new opportunities to control the deposition of DNA onto graphitic substrates. In this way, we built a cost-effective method to produce large-scale 3D ssDNA networks. All of these studies pave the way to understand the properties of DNA-solid interface, design novel nanomaterials, and improve the sensitivity of DNA biosensors.

Mechanical Stabilization of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Solid Films Based on Hydrated Ionic Liquid

Solid films of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) containing a hydrated ionic liquid, choline dihydrogen phosphate (CDP), were prepared by a solvent-casting method. Thermal properties, aggregation structure, thermal molecular motion, and tensile properties of CDP-containing DNA films were examined by thermogravimetry (TG), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) measurement, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and tensile tests, respectively. The water retentivity of the films at room temperature was much improved with CDP. The packing density of DNA helical chains clearly depended on the amount of CDP in the film. A small amount of CDP contributed to the suppression of the B_I → B_II conformational transition and the cooperative motion of the DNA duplex in the film. The tensile properties of the film drastically changed in the presence of CDP. When the amount of hydrated CDP in the film increased, the mechanical response of the film changed from glassy-like to rubbery-like via a semicrystalline-like state. The above results make it clear that CDP plays two major roles as a water absorber and plasticizer in the DNA film. Thus, it can be concluded that the use of an ionic liquid as an additive significantly increases the possibility of using a DNA solid film as a structural material.

Nanozymes in bionanotechnology: from sensing to therapeutics and beyond

Nanozymes are nanomaterials with enzyme-like characteristics, which have found broad applications in various areas including bionanotechnology and beyond.

Protein-directed approaches to functional nanomaterials: a case study of lysozyme

Using lysozyme as a model, protein-directed approaches to functional nanomaterials were reviewed, making rational materials design possible in the future.

Ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets: a low-cost, green, and highly efficient electrocatalyst toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide and its glucose biosensing application

In this communication, we demonstrate for the first time that ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) nanosheets can serve as a low-cost, green, and highly efficient electrocatalyst toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. We further demonstrate its application for electrochemical glucose biosensing in both buffer solution and human serum medium with a detection limit of 11 μM and 45 μM, respectively.

Application of graphene-pyrenebutyric acid nanocomposite as probe oligonucleotide immobilization platform in a DNA biosensor

A stable and uniform organic-inorganic nanocomposite that consists of graphene (GR) and pyrenebutyric acid (PBA) was obtained by ultrasonication, which was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-vis absorption spectra. The dispersion was dropped onto a gold electrode surface to obtain GR-PBA modified electrode (GR-PBA/Au). Electrochemical behaviors of the modified electrode were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy using [Fe(CN)6](3-/4-) as the electroactive probe. A novel DNA biosensor was constructed based on the covalent coupling of amino modified oligonucleotides with the carboxylic group on PBA. By using methylene blue (MB) as a redox-active hybridization indicator, the biosensor was applied to electrochemically detect the complementary sequence, and the results suggested that the peak currents of MB showed a good linear relationship with the logarithm values of target DNA concentrations in the range from 1.0×10(-15) to 5.0×10(-12) M with a detection limit of 3.8×10(-16) M. The selectivity experiment also showed that the biosensor can well distinguish the target DNA from the non-complementary sequences.

Supramolecular microfibrils of o-phenylenediamine dimers: oxidation-induced morphology change and the spontaneous formation of Ag nanoparticle decorated nanofibers

The direct mix of aqueous FeCl(3) and o-phenylenediamine (OPD) solutions at room temperature leads to supramolecular microfibrils of OPD dimers generated by the oxidation of OPD monomers by FeCl(3) (Sun, X.; Hagner, M. Langmuir 2007, 23, 10441). In this Letter, we report on our recent finding that the subsequent treatment of such microfibrils with a AgNO(3) aqueous solution transforms them into nanofibers decorated with spherical silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with sizes in range of 5-20 nm. The possible formation mechanism involved is also discussed. It is interestingly found that as-formed AgNPs exhibit good catalytic activity toward the reduction of H(2)O(2), leading to an enzymeless sensor with a fast amperometric response time of less than 5 s. The linear detection range is estimated to be from 100 μM to 80 mM (r = 0.998), and the detection limit is estimated to be 62 μM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3.

The electrodeposition of Ag nanoparticles on a type I collagen-modified glassy carbon electrode and their applications as a hydrogen peroxide sensor

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) attached to type I collagen-modified glassy carbon (GC) electrodes were successfully synthesized by the electrodepositing method. Atomic force microscopy images showed that many Ag NPs with homogeneous size were formed and uniformly distributed on the type I collagen/GC electrode. The amount, size and distribution of Ag NPs could be controlled by the collagen. The results of electrochemical experiments showed that Ag NPs had an excellent catalytic ability for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), suggesting that they could be used as a sensor to determine H(2)O(2). The good catalytic activity of the Ag NPs was ascribed to the type I collagen that resulted in the homogeneous distribution of Ag NPs with small size. The effects of type I collagen concentration and electrodeposition time on Ag NPs were investigated. When the Ag NPs were used as a sensor to determine H(2)O(2), the sensor could achieve 95% of the steady-state current in less than 2 s and had a linear range of 5.0 microM to 40.6 mM and a 0.7 microM detection limit of H(2)O(2) at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3.

An ionic liquid supported CeO2 nanoshuttles-carbon nanotubes composite as a platform for impedance DNA hybridization sensing

A novel nanocomposite membrane, comprising of nanosized shuttle-shaped cerium oxide (CeO(2)), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and hydrophobic room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIMPF(6)), was developed on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for electrochemical sensing of the immobilization and hybridization of DNA. The properties of the CeO(2)-SWNTs-BMIMPF(6)/GCE, the characteristics of the immobilization and hybridization of DNA were studied by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) using [Fe(CN)(6)](3-/4-) as the redox indicator. The synergistic effect of nano-CeO(2), SWNTs and RTIL could dramatically enhance the sensitivity of DNA hybridization recognition. The electron transfer resistance (R(et)) of the electrode surface increased after the immobilization of probe ssDNA on the CeO(2)-SWNTs-BMIMPF(6) membrane and rose further after the hybridization of the probe ssDNA with its complementary sequence. The remarkable difference between the R(et) value at the probe DNA-immobilized electrode and that at the hybridized electrode could be used for label-free EIS detection of the target DNA. The sequence-specific DNA of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPCase) gene from transgenically modified rape was detected by this DNA electrochemical biosensor. Under optimal conditions, the dynamic range for detecting the sequence-specific DNA of the PEPCase gene was from 1.0x10(-12) mol/L to 1.0x10(-7) mol/L, and the detection limit was 2.3x10(-13) mol/L, suggesting that the CeO(2)-SWNTs-BMIMPF(6) nanocomposite hold great promises for the applications in sensitive electrochemical biosensor.

Kinetic study of peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of 1-hydroxypyrene. Development of a nanomolar hydrogen peroxide detection system

Kinetics of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP) oxidation catalyzed with recombinant Coprinus cinereus (rCiP) and horseradish (HRP) peroxidases was investigated with a special emphasis for developing a nanomolar hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) detection system. At pH 8.0 the bimolecular constants of 1-HP oxidation with the ferryl compounds of rCiP and HRP were equal to (1.0 ± 0.3) × 108 M−1 s−1 and (0.6 ± 0.2) × 108 M−1 s−1, respectively. High bimolecular constants and fluorescence quantum yield of 1-HP (0.66) permitted detection as low as 21 nM of H2O2. To optimize the detection system 1-HP oxidation was modeled at steady-state conditions in the range pH 5.0 to pH 8.0. The 1-HP based detection system was compared with the Amplex Red system. The peroxidase-catalyzed 1-HP oxidation system was used for determination of ozone in the air.