Electrochemistry of cytochrome c: influence of coulombic attraction with indium tin oxide electrode

Interaction between indium tin oxide nanoparticles and ferricytochrome c: Conformation, redox state, and adsorption scheme

The conformations and redox states of ferricytochrome c, before and after adsorption onto the surface of the indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles, are studied to reveal the interaction nature between the cytochrome c and the conducting metal oxide surface. The characterizations with resonance Raman scattering and UV-Vis absorption reveal that the change of pH at moderate ionic strength induces transitions of conformations and redox-states, which suggests that there is intramolecular electron transfer. The conformations of the cytochrome c species are maintained after adsorption onto or collision with the ITO surface, but the redox states change significantly, and the change depends on the surface structure of the ITO nanoparticle. The adsorption or collision processes are governed by the pH-dependent electrostatic interaction between the proteins and the buffer anions bound to the ITO surface. This adsorption scenario differs from the conventional ones.

Electrocatalytic Volleyball: Rapid Nanoconfined Nicotinamide Cycling for Organic Synthesis in Electrode Pores

In living cells, redox chains rely on nanoconfinement using tiny enclosures, such as the mitochondrial matrix or chloroplast stroma, to concentrate enzymes and limit distances that nicotinamide cofactors and other metabolites must diffuse. In a chemical analogue exploiting this principle, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and NADP⁺ are cycled rapidly between ferredoxin–NADP⁺ reductase and a second enzyme—the pairs being juxtaposed within the 5–100 nm scale pores of an indium tin oxide electrode. The resulting electrode material, denoted (FNR+E2)@ITO/support, can drive and exploit a potentially large number of enzyme‐catalysed reactions.

Transfer of photosynthetic NADP+/NADPH recycling activity to a porous metal oxide for highly specific, electrochemically-driven organic synthesis

In a discovery of the transfer of chloroplast biosynthesis activity to an inorganic material, ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase (FNR), the pivotal redox flavoenzyme of photosynthetic CO2 assimilation, binds tightly within the pores of indium tin oxide (ITO) to produce an electrode for direct studies of the redox chemistry of the FAD active site, and fast, reversible and diffusion-controlled interconversion of NADP+ and NADPH in solution. The dynamic electrochemical properties of FNR and NADP(H) are thus revealed in a special way that enables facile coupling of selective, enzyme-catalysed organic synthesis to a controllable power source, as demonstrated by efficient synthesis of l-glutamate from 2-oxoglutarate and NH4+.

Effects of Film Morphology and Surface Chemistry on the Direct Electrochemistry of Cytochrome c at Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes

The effects of film morphology and surface termination on the direct electron transfer of horse heart cytochrome c on boron-doped ultrananocrystalline (B-UNCD) and microcrystalline (B-MCD) diamond thin-film electrodes were investigated. Quasi-reversible, diffusion-controlled cyclic voltammetric responses were observed on oxygen-terminated (atomic O/C ~0.015), but not hydrogen-terminated (atomic O/C ~0.02) diamond thin films. The effect of the surface termination was the same for both the nanostructured B-UNCD film with sp2-bonded carbon atoms in the grain boundaries and the well faceted B-MCD film with micron-sized grains and largely devoid of sp2 carbon. Stable cyclic voltammetric i-E curves were recorded with cycling for both oxygen-terminated films indicating the absence of protein denaturation and electrode fouling. The peak currents increased linearly with the square root of the scan rate and the protein concentration; both indicative of a reaction rate limited by semi-infinite linear diffusion of the protein. Similar heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constants were observed for oxygen-terminated B-UNCD (3.48 (± 1.25) × 10-3 cm/s) and B-MCD films (2.38 (± 0.72) × 10-3 cm/s). The results clearly reveal that the oxygen-terminated surface is more active for electron-transfer with this soluble redox protein than is the hydrogen-terminated surface. The film morphology does not influence the diffusion-controlled response of the redox protein.

Potential-Scanning Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensors based on plasmonic nanoparticles attract much attention recently. Here we propose a new class of LSPR sensor, that is, a potential-scanning LSPR sensor, in which electron density of the plasmonic nanoparticles is controlled by potential scanning. The sensor exhibits a resonance peak during the potential scan, which negatively shifts with increasing local refractive index. Therefore, the present sensor can be applied to affinity biosensors and chemical sensors based on potential scan instead of wavelength scan. The potential-scanning LSPR sensors do not require space and a mechanical device for wavelength scanning, so the sensors are advantageous for miniaturization and cost reduction, in comparison with the conventional LSPR sensors. We explain the principle and theoretical sensitivities of the potential-scanning LSPR sensors, and refractometry is demonstrated using a sensor with an ITO electrode loaded with gold nanospheres (13 or 40 nm diameter) or nanorods. The smaller and larger nanospheres are suitable for sensing with a wider dynamic range and with a higher sensitivity, respectively. The use of nanorods further improves the sensitivity and figure of merit.

Efficient chemisorption of organophosphorous redox probes on indium tin oxide surfaces under mild conditions

We report a mild and straightforward one-step chemical surface functionalization of indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes by redox-active molecules bearing an organophosphoryl anchoring group (i.e., alkyl phosphate or alkyl phosphonate group). The method takes advantage of simple passive adsorption in an aqueous solution at room temperature. We show that organophosphorus compounds can adsorb much more strongly and stably on an ITO surface than analogous redox-active molecules bearing a carboxylate or a boronate moiety. We provide evidence, through quantitative electrochemical characterization (i.e., by cyclic voltammetry) of the adsorbed organophosphoryl redox-active molecules, of the occurrence of three different adsorbate fractions on ITO, exhibiting different stabilities on the surface. Among these three fractions, one is observed to be strongly chemisorbed, exhibiting high stability and resistance to desorption/hydrolysis in a free-redox probe aqueous buffer. We attribute this remarkable stability to the formation of chemical bonds between the organophosphorus anchoring group and the metal oxide surface, likely occurring through a heterocondensation reaction in water. From XPS analysis, we also demonstrate that the surface coverage of the chemisorbed molecules is highly affected by the degree of surface hydroxylation, a parameter that can be tuned by simply preconditioning the freshly cleaned ITO surfaces in water. The lower the relative surface hydroxide density on ITO, the higher was the surface coverage of the chemisorbed species. This behavior is in line with a chemisorption mechanism involving coordination of a deprotonated phosphoryl oxygen atom to the non-hydroxylated acidic metal sites of ITO.

The birth of protein electrochemistry

The results from a final-year undergraduate project led to an $876M sale of a spin-out company 19 years later: the 1977 communication from Mark Eddowes and Allen Hill seeded the rich field of protein electrochemistry, the technology that underpins commercial glucose biosensors.

Detection of DNA by using bio-conducting polymer-Nile blue composite electrode; Nile blue as an indicator

The amplified electrochemical sensing of DNA was accomplished by electrodeposited PEDOT on the electrode surface and incorporation of Nile blue (NB) as redox active intercalator into DNA. Herein, above modified electrode called as PEDOT/DNA/NB composite electrode. PEDOT/DNA/NB composite electrode exhibited well defined redox peak at -0.35 V (Ag/AgCl) corresponding to NB. The composite electrode surface coverage (Gamma) and DeltaEp were compared with PEDOT/NB and DNA/NB modified electrode. Atomic Force microscopy (AFM), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were used to characterize the PEDOT/DNA/NB composite electrode. The composite electrode was exhibited as surface confined redox process in neutral pH. The composite electrode was found to be pH dependent. The composite electrode exhibited catalytic property towards reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). The composite electrode was utilized to amperometric study and its response towards H(2)O(2) detection was less than 6 s and the detection limit was 0.1 microM. Moreover, we tested PEDOT/DNA/NB composite electrode to electrocatalytic reduction of cytochrome c (Cyt c).

Layer-by-layer films of hemoglobin or myoglobin assembled with zeolite particles: Electrochemistry and electrocatalysis

Positively charged hemoglobin (Hb) or myoglobin (Mb) at pH 5.0 in solutions and negatively charged zeolite particles in dispersions were alternately adsorbed onto solid surfaces forming [zeolite/protein](n) layer-by-layer films, which was confirmed by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The protein films assembled on pyrolytic graphite (PG) electrodes exhibited a pair of well-defined, nearly reversible CV peaks at about -0.35 V vs. SCE at pH 7.0, characteristic of the heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couples. Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and nitrite (NO(2)(-)) in solution were catalytically reduced at [zeolite/protein](7) film modified electrodes, and could be quantitatively determined by CV and amperometry. The shape and position of infrared amide I and II bands of Hb or Mb in [zeolite/protein](7) films suggest that the proteins retain their near-native structure in the films. The penetration experiments of Fe(CN)(6)(3-) as the electroactive probe into these films and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results indicate that the films possess a great amount of pores or channels. The porous structure of ]zeolite/protein](n) films is beneficial to counterion transport, which is crucial for protein electrochemistry in films controlled by the charge-hopping mechanism, and is also helpful for the diffusion of catalysis substrates into the films. The proteins with negatively charged net surface charges at pH 9.0 were also successfully assembled with like-charged zeolite particles into layer-by-layer films, although the adsorption amount was less than that assembled at pH 5.0. The possible reasons for this were discussed, and the driving forces were explored.

Order Parameters and Orientation Distributions of Solution Adsorbed and Microcontact Printed Cytochrome c Protein Films on Glass and ITO

The structure of solution adsorbed and microcontact printed (muCP) cytochrome c (cyt c) films on glass and indium tin oxide (ITO) was investigated using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and total internal reflectance fluorescence (TIRF) spectroscopies to determine the orientation of the heme groups in the films. The second and fourth order parameters of the heme as well as information on the angle between the absorption and emission dipoles of the heme, gamma, were experimentally determined. The order parameters of the heme are related to the order parameters of the protein molecule using the known angle between the heme plane and the electrostatic dipole moment of the cyt c protein. The effect of the surface roughness of the substrates (glass and ITO) was also taken into account quantitatively using AFM data. Physically possible order parameters were obtained for the heme group in both solution adsorbed and muCP films, but not for the electrostatic dipole moment of the protein. In addition, the experimental values of {cos2 gamma} for immobilized zinc-substituted cyt c are greater than the values of {cos2 gamma} determined in viscous solutions, which could be an indication that the environment of the heme groups changes upon adsorption. The electron transfer behavior of solution adsorbed and muCP films on ITO, determined using electrochemical methods, is compared to their orientation distribution and surface coverage as determined by spectroscopic methods.

Core–shell nanocluster films of hemoglobin and clay nanoparticle: Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis

A novel core-shell protein nanocluster film, designated as clay-(Hb/PSS)(n), was fabricated on pyrolytic graphite (PG) electrodes. Positively charged hemoglobin (Hb) at pH 5.5 and negatively charged poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) were first assembled layer by layer on surface of clay nanoparticles from their solutions mainly by electrostatic attraction, forming a core-shell nanocluster structure in which clay nanoparticles were the "cores" and (Hb/PSS)(n) multilayers were the "shells". The aqueous dispersion of clay-(Hb/PSS)(n) nanoclusters was then cast on surface of PG electrodes, forming clay-(Hb/PSS)(n) nanocluster films after evaporation of solvent. Hb in clay-(Hb/PSS)(n) films exhibited a pair of well-defined and reversible cyclic voltammetric (CV) peaks at about -0.36 V vs. SCE in pH 7.0 buffers, characteristic of Hb heme Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couples. Compared with other Hb-containing clay films, clay-(Hb/PSS)(n) films displayed smaller CV peak separation (DeltaE(p)), indicating the better electrochemical reversibility of Hb in these nanocluster films. The partially ordered structure of the films was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments. UV-VIS and reflection absorption infrared (RAIR) spectroscopy suggests that Hb retains its near-native structure in clay-(Hb/PSS)(n) films. Oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and nitrite were catalytically reduced at clay-(Hb/PSS)(n) film electrodes, showing the potential applicability of the films as the new type of biosensors or bioreactors based on protein direct electrochemistry. The electrochemical and electrocatalytic activity of the films could be tailored by controlling the number of bilayers of the (Hb/PSS)(n) shells on the surface of clay nanoparticle cores.

Electrochemical control of protein monolayers at indium tin oxide surfaces for the reagentless optical biosensing of nitric oxide

Cytochrome c has been immobilized onto functionalized, optically transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes by covalent and electrostatic techniques. Covalent immobilization was achieved by the formation of a disulfide bond between N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate-(SPDP-) modified cytochrome c and SPDP-silanized ITO. Additionally, ITO electrodes have been modified with the bifunctional reagent 1,12-dodecanedicarboxylic acid (DDCA), resulting in formation of a carboxylic acid-terminated monolayer. Covalent protein attachment to the DDCA-functionalized ITO was achieved with the cross-linker 1-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride. Electrostatic attachment of the protein involved ion-pair and hydrogen-bond interactions between the terminating carboxylic acid groups of the DDCA-functionalized ITO and the primary amine groups of the lysine residues of cytochrome c. The electrostatic interaction between the cytochrome c and the functionalized ITO resulted in greater rotational mobility of the protein at the electrode surface, leading to ca. 63% electroactivity, as compared to ca. 41% electroactivity for the covalently immobilized protein. The redox state of the electrostatically bound cytochrome c monolayers could be electrochemically switched between ferric and ferrous forms. Electrochemical control of the bound protein was used to regenerate the biosensing surface following binding of nitric oxide (NO). Ligation of NO with the cytochrome c was monitored by measurement of the change of absorbance intensity at 416 nm. Through application of a negative potential, the cytochrome c was reduced from the ferric to the ferrous form, which led to the removal of the ligated NO. Application of a positive potential regenerated the ferric cytochrome c, enabling multiple repeat measurements of NO. Such electrochemical control of proteins immobilized on transparent electrodes enables the optical biosensing of analyte targets without recourse to exogenous reagents.

A study on Cu2Co2SOD and Co2Co2SOD by voltammetry and thin-layer spectroelectrochemistry

The electrochemistry of Co(2)Co(2)SOD and Cu(2)Co(2)SOD on a pyrolytic graphite electrode (PGE) without using mediators was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The reversible and quasi-reversible voltammetric responses were observed for Co(2)Co(2)SOD and Cu(2)Co(2)SOD, respectively. Their formal redox potentials and electron numbers involved in electrode reactions were obtained, and are in agreement with those by spectroelectrochemistry (SEC).

Electrochemical evidence on the molten globule conformation of cytochrome c

To explore a new approach for characterizing the molten globule conformation, cyclic voltammetric studies of salt induced transitions at acidic pH of cyt c have been carried out. The use of modified electrodes has made the observation of direct electrochemistry in native cyt c possible. However, most of these electrodes do not show reversible responses at acidic pH, due to the fact that, for this system, a deprotonated electrode surface is needed. In these studies, we have used a 6-mercaptopurine and cysteine-modified gold electrodes which are effective for direct rapid electron transfer to cyt c, even in acid solutions. The change in the absorption bands of cyt c are used to monitor the conformational states and, hence, to compare the voltammetric results. Under the experimental conditions where the A state of cyt c is obtained, a reversible voltammetric signal is observed. The midpoint peak potentials are found to be very close to the formal potential of native cyt c. Results are discussed in terms of a cooperative two-state transition between the acid unfolded and the globular acidic states of cyt c. This finding establishes, for the first time, the similarity of both the native and the molten globule-like conformations in terms of its redox properties.