4-Aminophenyl acetate as a substrate for amperometric esterase sensors

A disposable acetylcholine esterase sensor for As(III) determination in groundwater matrix based on 4-acetoxyphenol hydrolysis

There is a lack of field compatible analytical method for the speciation of As(III) to characterize groundwater pollution at anthropogenic sites. To address this issue, an inhibition-based acetylcholine esterase (AchE) sensor was developed to determine As(III) in groundwater. 4-Acetoxyphenol was employed to develop an amperometric assay for AchE activity. This assay was used to guide the fabrication of an AchE sensor with screen-printed carbon electrode. An As(III) determination protocol was developed based on the pseudo-irreversible inhibition mechanism. The analysis has a dynamic range of 2-500 μM (150 - 37,500 μg L^-1) for As(III). The sensor exhibited the same dynamic range and sensitivity in a synthetic groundwater matrix. The electrode was stable for at least 150 days at 22 ± 2 °C.

Biocapteurs ampérométriques à cholinestérases pour la détermination des pesticides organophosphorés

The purpose of this study is a comparative presentation of the different types of the amperometric biosensors based on cholinesterases for the determination of organophosphorous pesticides using the bibliographical information of the last 20 years. The study contains the presentation of the structure and properties of the cholinesterases, the main reactions implied in the functioning of the amperometric biosensors, their applications and factors influencing the detection or (and) the inhibition process. The detection limit of the mono- or bi-enzymatic amperometric biosensors are relatively higher than those corresponding with the immunobiosensors or with gas and liquid chromatography, which are still considered as the reference methods. As shown, for many other amperometric biosensors, the Michaelis–Menten's kinetic treatment used for reactions catalyzed by free enzymes can be extended to describe the response of amperometric biosensors based on immobilized cholinesterases. The positive compromise between advantages and drawbacks, as well as the "soft" experimental conditions, point to the amperometric monoenzymatic bioelectrode, as an attractive analytical tool for the detection of organophosphorous pesticides.Key words: amperometric biosensor, acetylcholinesterase, organophosphorous pesticides, kinetic, inhibition.

Enzyme support systems for biosensor applications based on gold-coated nylon meshes

A novel experimental protocol for enzyme immobilization based on the use of a very permeable support is described and applied to the development of an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) based biosensor. In this system, the enzyme was immobilized onto a gold-coated nylon mesh via a self-assembled monolayer of a bifunctional reagent, cystamine, preadsorbed onto the gold surface. This support has been characterized by optical microscopy and electrochemical measurements of permeability. In the assembled biosensor, the AChE modified mesh was placed over a glassy carbon electrode and the response to 4-aminophenylacetate, used as substrate, was monitored via the enzymatic reaction product, 4-aminophenol, by oxidation at +0.25 V vs. SSCE. This approach to biosensor design has been extended to the determination of organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides by their inhibition of AChE enzymatic activity.