Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based Electrochemical Sensor for the Detection of Azoxystrobin in Aqueous Media

This work presents an electrochemical sensor detecting a fungicide-azoxystrobin (AZO) in aqueous environments. This AZO sensor utilizes a thin-film metal electrode (TFME) combined with an AZO-selective molecularly imprinted polymer (AZO-MIP). The AZO-MIP was directly generated on TFME through electrochemical polymerization from the solution containing two functional monomers: aniline (Ani) and m-phenylenediamine (mPD), and the template: AZO, which was afterwards removed to form AZO-selective cavities in the polymer matrix. The AZO-MIP preparation was characterized by electrochemical and ellipsometry measurements. Optimization of the synthesis parameters, including the charge density applied during electrodeposition, the monomer-to-template ratio, was performed to enhance the sensor's performance. The results demonstrated that the AZO sensor achieved a low limit of detection (LOD) of 3.6 nM and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 11.8 nM in tap water, indicating its sensitivity in a complex aqueous environment. The sensor also exhibited satisfactory selectivity for AZO in both ultrapure and tap-water samples and achieved a good recovery (94-119%) for the target analyte. This study highlights the potential of MIP-based electrochemical sensors for the rapid and accurate detection of fungicide contaminants in water, contributing to the advancement of analytical tools for water-quality monitoring and risk assessment.

Electrochemical Reaction Assisted 2D π-Stacking of Benzene on a MWCNT Surface and its Unique Redox and Electrocatalytic Properties

Turning the π-structure and electronic properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is a cutting-edge research topic in interdisciplinary areas of material chemistry. In general, chemical functionalization of CNT has been adopted for this purpose, which has resulted in a few monolayer thickness increment of CNT diameter size. Herein, we report an interesting observation of >10-fold increment in the apparent diameter of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) brought about by a process of self-assembly of the BZ moiety on MWCNT, which is formed by electrochemical oxidation of a surface-adsorbed benzene-water cluster, {BZ-nH₂O}. From physicochemical characterizations by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman and IR spectroscopic techniques and electrochemical characterizations by several radical scavenger species, it has been revealed that benzene radical moieties as a series of π-stacked layers ([BZ]-π-stack) were self-assembled on the MWCNT surface. A possible mechanism for their formation was proposed to be electrochemical oxidation of H₂O from the MWCNT@{BZ-nH₂O}_ads layer to oxygen gas via hydroxyl radical formation and benzene cationic radical species at 1.2 V vs Ag/AgCl followed by its self-assembly into a unique MWCNT@[BZ]-π-stack network. The scanning electrochemical microscopic (SECM) technique was used to identify the in situ ^•OH radical formation. The electrochemical studies of a glassy-carbon-modified MWCNT@[BZ]-π-stack system showed a well-defined and highly symmetrical redox peak at an equilibrium potential E_1/2 = 0.2 V vs Ag/AgCl (pH 2 HCl/KCl), with a peak-to-peak potential separation of 0 V, highlighting the ideal-surface-confined electron-transfer nature of the redox couple. Furthermore, enhanced electrical conductivity over the unmodified MWCNT was observed when testing the surface-sensitive redox couple Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ with the modified electrode. This new redox material showed a specific electrocatalytic reduction of hydrogen peroxide at neutral pH (pH 7 phosphate buffer solution) unlike the quinone and other organic redox mediators, which show the reduction signal only in the presence of horseradish peroxidase enzyme.

Simple aminophenol-based electrochemical probes for non-enzymatic, dual amperometric detection of NADH and hydrogen peroxide

Non enzymatic detection of NADH and H₂O₂ is of practical significance for both environmental and biological prospective. However, there is no simple, straight forward electrochemical sensor available for sensing of them in real samples. Addressing this challenge, we report a simple stimuli responsive aminophenol, pre-anodized screen printed carbon electrode (SPCE*/AP) based electrochemical probes for dual detection of NADH and H₂O₂. Aminophenol prepared and adsorbed on the electrode from aminophenylboronic acid via boronic acid deprotection with H₂O₂. The SPCE*/AP fabricated with this process was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Amperometric detection results showed that SPCE*/AP electrodes exhibited linearity from 50 µM to 500 µM and from 200 µM to 2 mM with a detection limit (S/N = 3) of 4.2 µM and 28.9 µM for NADH and H₂O₂, respectively. Excellent reproducibility and selectivity for NADH and H₂O₂ were observed for this electrochemical platform. In addition, the matrix effect was investigated further using the same technique to analyze NADH and H₂O₂ in human urine samples, human serum samples, cell culture medium (containing 10% fetal bovine serum, FBS), and environmental water samples (tap water and rain water). Also, the present sensor demonstrated promising outcomes with living cells (normal cells and cancer cells).

Electrochemical redox signaling of hemoglobin in human whole blood and its relevance to anemia and thalassemia diagnosis

A highly redox active human whole blood-carbon nanomaterial modified electrode has been developed, which showed a redox peak (vs. Ag/AgCl) similar to that of hemoglobin (vs. Ag/AgCl) in red blood cells. Clinical relevance of this for direct electrochemical analysis of blood hemoglobin content (anemia) and thalassemia disease diagnosis was demonstrated.

A new electro-generated o-dianisidine derivative stabilized MWCNT-modified GCE for low potential gallic acid detection

An enone derivative of a o-dianisidine dimer stabilized GCE/MWCNT exhibited low potential gallic acid detection at 0.16 V vs. Ag/AgCl.