Abd Almonam Baleg

Determination of Anthracene on Ag-Au Alloy Nanoparticles/Overoxidized-Polypyrrole Composite Modified Glassy Carbon Electrodes

A novel electrochemical sensor for the detection of anthracene was prepared by modifying a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with over-oxidized polypyrrole (PPyox) and Ag-Au (1:3) bimetallic nanoparticles (Ag-AuNPs). The composite electrode (PPyox/Ag-AuNPs/GCE) was prepared by potentiodynamic polymerization of pyrrole on GCE followed by its overoxidation in 0.1 M NaOH. Ag-Au bimetallic nanoparticles were chemically prepared by the reduction of AgNO3 and HAuCl4 using C6H5O7Na3 as the reducing agent as well as the capping agent and then immobilized on the surface of the PPyox/GCE. The nanoparticles were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy technique which confirmed the homogeneous formation of the bimetallic alloy nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the synthesized bimetallic nanoparticles were in the range of 20–50 nm. The electrochemical behaviour of anthracene at the PPyox/Ag-AuNPs/GCE with Ag: Au atomic ratio 25:75 (1:3) exhibited a higher electrocatalytic effect compared to that observed when GCE was modified with each constituent of the composite (i.e., PPyox, Ag-AuNPs) and bare GCE. A linear relationship between anodic current and anthracene concentration was attained over the range of 3.0 × 10−6 to 3.56 × 10−4 M with a detection limit of 1.69 × 10−7 M. The proposed method was simple, less time consuming and showed a high sensitivity.

Aptameric Recognition-Modulated Electroactivity of Poly(4-Styrenesolfonic Acid)-Doped Polyaniline Films for Single-Shot Detection of Tetrodotoxin

The work being reported is the first electrochemical sensor for tetrodotoxin (TTX). It was developed on a glassy carbon electrodes (C) that was modified with poly(4-styrenesolfonic acid)-doped polyaniline film (PANI/PSSA). An amine-end functionalized TTX-binding aptamer, 5′-NH2-AAAAATTTCACACGGGTGCCTCGGCTGTCC-3′ (NH2-Apt), was grafted via covalent glutaraldehyde (glu) cross-linking. The resulting aptasensor (C//PANI+/PSSA-glu-NH2-Apt) was interrogated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in sodium acetate buffer (NaOAc, pH 4.8) before and after 30 min incubation in standard TTX solutions. Both CV and EIS results confirmed that the binding of the analyte to the immobilized aptamer modulated the electrochemical properties of the sensor: particularly the charge transfer resistance (Rct) of the PANI+/PSSA film, which served as a signal reporter. Based on the Rct calibration curve of the TTX aptasensor, the values of the dynamic linear range (DLR), sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD) of the sensor were determined to be 0.23–1.07 ng·mL−1 TTX, 134.88 ± 11.42 Ω·ng·mL−1 and 0.199 ng·mL−1, respectively. Further studies are being planned to improve the DLR as well as to evaluate selectivity and matrix effects in real samples.

Overoxidized Polypyrrole Incorporated with Gold Nanoparticles as Platform for Impedimetric Anti-Transglutaminase Immunosensor

Overoxidized polypyrrole (OvoxPpy) doped with gold-nanoparticles (GNP) on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was used as a platform to construct a novel label-free impedimetric immunosensor for anti-transglutaminase (anti-tTG). Field emission scanning electron microscopy results confirmed the deposition of GNP with good surface coverage across the OvoxPpy substrate. The average diameter of the nanocomposite was 100 nm. The platform (GNP|OvoxPpy||GCE) was conductive and exhibited reversible electrochemistry (E°’ = 395 mV) in (pH 7.4) PBS. The electrochemical characterization of the platform was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV). OvoxPpy||GCE had a peak separation, ΔE p , value of −80 mV. The GNP|OvoxPpy||GCE showed enhanced interfacial charge transfer with ΔE p , being −30 mV. The SWV results corroborated CV findings which show enhanced peak current through GNP. The immunosensor was prepared by immobilizing 40 μL tTG (0.3 mg mL−1) onto the platform by drop coating. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements indicated that the immunosensor system (BSA|tTG|GNP|OvoxPpy||GCE) markedly improved the conductivity and response of the anti-tTG immunosensor. The impedimetric immunosensor exhibited a charge transfer resistance (Rct)-dependent dynamic linearity of 10−6 to 10−4 M for target anti-tTG (r = 0.9808), and detection limit of 5.22 × 10−6 M.

Cytochrome P450-3A4/Copper-Poly(Propylene Imine)-Polypyrrole Star Co-Polymer Nanobiosensor System for Delavirdine - A Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor HIV Drug

HIV and AIDS are among the world’s pandemics that pose serious concern to almost every individual in the world. With the current level of availability of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs and the ease of accessibility of treatment in many countries such as South Africa, the disease can be controlled by suppressing the viral load of an infected individual. These anti HIV drugs such as delavirdine are metabolised by enzymes which are found in the liver microsomes, particularly those of the cytochrome P450 family. Due to the fact that the metabolic rate of a patient determines the effect of the drug, the drug could either have a beneficial or an adverse effect once it is administered. It is therefore imperative that the metabolic profile of a patient is determined to ensure proper dosing of the ARV drugs. In this study a nanobiosensor system was devised and used for the determination of the metabolism of delavirdine (DLV), a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) ARV drug. The nanobiosensor was prepared by the entrapment of the isoenzyme CYP3A4 into a pre-formed electro active carrier matrice consisting of a dendrimeric copper generation-2 poly(propylene imine)-co-polypyrrole star copolymer (Cu(G2PPI)-co-PPy). The metallo-dendrimer was used as a host for the enzyme and provided the necessary bio-compatible environment that allowed the direct transfer of electrons between the enzyme’s active centres and platinum electrode surface. (Cu(G2PPI)-co-PPy) was prepared by the incorporation of the copper metal into the G2PPI and the electropolymerization of pyrrole onto the Cu(G2PPI). The incorporation of Cu into G2PPI was determined by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy which did not show the presence of the Cu but showed an increase in the intensities of the peaks after the incorporation. The surface morphology of Cu(G2PPI-2Py) was confirmed by the use of high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) which showed a difference in the surface morphology of the dendrimer moiety with the addition of the copper metal. The HRSEM images after Cu incorporation resulted in the change from rough surface to smooth surface with open cavities which were essential for the entrapment of the biological systems (CYP3A4). The energy band gap of (Cu(G2PPI)-co-PPy) were determined to be 3.85 eV, signifying that the copolymer is characteristic of a biocompatible semiconductive platform for applications in biosensors. The star copolymer (Cu(G2PPI)-co-PPy) was characterized using cyclic voltammetry where it was confirmed that the material was electroactive and conducting due to electron movement along the polymer chain. A diffusion co-efficient (Do) value of 8.64 x 10-5 cm2/s was determined for the material indicating a slow electron transfer kinetics within the diffusion layer. The resultant nanobiosensor parameters include a dynamic linear range (DLR) of 0.01-0.06 nM, a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.025 nM and a sensitivity value of 0.379 μA/nM.

Electrokinetic and Impedimetric Dynamics of FeCo-Nanoparticles on Glassy Carbon Electrode

The electrochemical dynamics of a film of FeCo nanoparticles were studied on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The film was found to be electroactive in 1 M LiClO4 containing 1:1 v/v ethylene carbonate dimethyl carbonate electrolyte system. Cyclic voltammetric experiments revealed a diffusion-controlled electron transfer process on the GCE/FeCo electrode surface. Further interrogation on the electrochemical properties of the FeCo nanoelectrode in an oxygen saturated 1 M LiClO4 containing 1:1 v/v ethylene-carbonate-dimethyl carbonate revealed that the nanoelectrode showed good response towards the electro-catalytic reduction of molecular oxygen with a Tafel slope of about 120 mV which is close to the theoretical 118 mV for a single electron transfer process in the rate limiting step; and a transfer coefficient (α) of 0.49. The heterogeneous rate constant of electron transfer (ket), exchange current density (io) and time constant (τ) were calculated from data obtained from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and found to have values of 2.3 x 10-5 cm s-1, 1.6 x 10-4 A cm-2 and 2.4 x 10-4 s rad-1, respectively.