Bruno C. Janegitz

Electrochemical immunosensor for rapid and sensitive determination of estradiol

This work describes the preparation of an electrochemical immunosensor for estradiol based on the surface modification of a screen printed carbon electrode with grafted p-aminobenzoic acid followed by covalent binding of streptavidin (Strept) and immobilization of biotinylated anti-estradiol (anti-estradiol-Biotin). The hormone determination was performed by applying a competitive immunoassay with peroxidase-labelled estradiol (HRP-estradiol) and measurement of the amperometric response at -200 mV using hydroquinone (HQ) as redox mediator. The calibration curve for estradiol exhibited a linear range between 1 and 250 pg mL(-1) (r=0.990) and a detection limit of 0.77 pg mL(-1) was achieved. Cross-reactivity studies with other hormones related with estradiol at physiological concentration levels revealed the practical specificity of the developed method for estradiol. A good reproducibility, with RSD=5.9% (n=8) was also observed. The operating stability of a single bioelectrode modified with anti-estradiol-Biotin-Strept was nine days when it was stored at 8°C under humid conditions between measurements. The developed immunosensor was applied to the analysis of certified serum and spiked urine samples with good results.

A biosensor based on gold nanoparticles, dihexadecylphosphate, and tyrosinase for the determination of catechol in natural water.

In this work, a biosensor using a glassy carbon electrode modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and tyrosinase (Tyr) within a dihexadecylphosphate film is proposed. Cystamine and glutaraldehyde crosslinking agents were used as a support for Tyr immobilization. The proposed biosensor was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and cyclic voltammetry in the presence of catechol. The determination of catechol was carried out by amperometry and presented a linear concentration range from 2.5×10(-6) to 9.5×10(-5)molL(-1) with a detection limit of 1.7×10(-7)molL(-1). The developed biosensor showed good repeatability and stability. Moreover, this novel amperometric method was successfully applied in the determination of catechol in natural water samples. The results were in agreement with a 95% confidence level for those obtained using the official spectrophotometric method.

Anodic Stripping Voltammetric Determination of Mercury in Water Using a Chitosan‐Modified Carbon Paste Electrode

Abstract This paper describes the preparation and electrochemical application of a modified carbon paste electrode with chitosan for the determination of Hg(II) ions in water using anodic stripping voltammetry. Experimental parameters, including the pH of the supporting electrolyte, time and potential of accumulation and scan rate were investigated. The best voltammetric response was observed for a paste composition of 60% (m/m) of graphite powder, 20% (m/m) of chitosan and 20% (m/m) of mineral oil, with 0.1 mol/l NaNO3 solution at pH 6.3 as supporting electrolyte, a preconcentration potential of −0.2 V, preconcentration time of 270 s and a scan rate of 25 mV/s. Under these optimal experimental conditions, the voltammetric signals were linearly dependent on the Hg(II) concentration in the range of 9.99×10−7 to 3.85×10−5 mol/l with a detection limit of 6.28×10−7 mol/l. Three “spiked” samples of water were evaluated using the proposed sensor, and results agreed with those obtained by a reference method at the 95% confidence level.

Inexpensive and disposable copper mini-sensor modified with bismuth for lead and cadmium determination using square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry

The fabrication and evaluation of a disposable copper mini-sensor ex situ modified bismuth film for the sensing of lead(II) and cadmium(II) via square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV) technique is presented. The sensor was ex situ modified with a bismuth film via electro-deposition through applying a potential of −0.18 V vs. Ag/AgCl (3.0 mol L−1 KCl) for 200 seconds in a 0.02 mol L−1 Bi(NO3)3, 0.15 mol L−1 sodium citrate in 1.5 mol L−1 HCl solution. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the voltammetric response was linearly dependent on the analyte concentrations over the range from 1.3 × 10−6 to 1.3 × 10−5 mol L−1 and from 9.9 × 10−7 to 1.2 × 10−5 mol L−1 with a limit of detection of 8.3 × 10−7 mol L−1 and 5.3 × 10−7 mol L−1 for Pb(II) and Cd(II), respectively. The determination of both toxic metallic species was carried out in natural waters using the sensor obtaining results which are in close agreement with those obtained using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry at a 95% confidence level.

Electrochemical determination of estradiol using a thin film containing reduced graphene oxide and dihexadecylphosphate

Graphene is a material that has attracted attention with regard to sensing and biosensing applications in recent years. Here, we report a novel treatment (using ultrasonic bath and ultrasonic tip) to obtain graphene oxide (GO) and a new stable conducting film using reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and dihexadecylphosphate film (DHP). The GO was obtained by chemical exfoliation and it was reduced using NaBH4. Subsequently, RGO-DHP dispersion was prepared and it was dropped onto a glassy carbon electrode by casting technique. The electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical spectroscopy impedance. The voltammetric behavior of the RGO-DHP/GC electrode in the presence of estradiol was studied, and the results reported an irreversible oxidation peak current at 0.6V. Under the optimal experimental conditions, using linear sweep adsorptive stripping voltammetry, the detection limit obtained for this hormone was 7.7×10(-8)mol L(-1). The proposed electrode can be attractive for applications as electrochemical sensors and biosensors.

Direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin and biosensing for hydrogen peroxide using a film containing silver nanoparticles and poly(amidoamine) dendrimer

A new architecture for a biosensor is proposed using a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with hemoglobin (Hb) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) encapsulated in poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (PAMAM). The biosensors were characterized using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, ζ-potential and cyclic voltammetry to investigate the interactions between Hb, AgNPs and the PAMAM film. The biosensor exhibited a well-defined cathodic peak attributed to reduction of the Fe(3+) present in the heme group in Hb, as revealed by cyclic voltammetry in the presence of O2. An apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate of 4.1s(-1) was obtained. The Hb-AgNPs-PAMAM/GCE third generation biosensor was applied in the amperometric determination of hydrogen peroxide over the linear range from 6.0 × 10(-6) to 9.1 × 10(-5)mol L(-1) with a detection limit of 4.9 × 1 0(-6)mol L(-1). The proposed method can be extended to immobilize and evaluate the direct electron transfer of other redox enzymes.

The application of graphene for in vitro and in vivo electrochemical biosensing.

Advances in analysis are required for rapid and reliable clinical diagnosis. Graphene is a 2D material that has been extensively used in the development of devices for the medical proposes due to properties such as an elevated surface area and excellent electrical conductivity. On the other hand, architectures have been designed with the incorporation of different biological recognition elements such as antibodies/antigens and DNA probes for the proposition of immunosensors and genosensors. This field presents a great progress in the last few years, which have opened up a wide range of applications. Here, we highlight a rather comprehensive overview of the interesting properties of graphene for in vitro, in vivo, and point-of-care electrochemical biosensing. In the course of the paper, we first introduce graphene, electroanalytical methods (potentiometry, voltammetry, amperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) followed by an overview of the prospects and possible applications of this material in electrochemical biosensors. In this context, we discuss some relevant trends including the monitoring of multiple biomarkers for cancer diagnostic, implantable devices for in vivo sensing and, development of point-of-care devices to real-time diagnostics.

Electrical Detection of Dengue Biomarker Using Egg Yolk Immunoglobulin as the Biological Recognition Element

Nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) is secreted by dengue virus in the first days of infection and acts as an excellent dengue biomarker. Here, the direct electrical detection of NS1 from dengue type 2 virus has been achieved by the measurement of variations in open circuit potential (OCP) between a reference electrode and a disposable Au electrode containing immobilized anti-NS1 antibodies acting as immunosensor. Egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) was utilized for the first time as the biological recognition element alternatively to conventional mammalian antibodies in the detection of dengue virus NS1 protein. NS1 protein was detected in standard samples in a 0.1 to 10 µg.mL−1 concentration range with (3.2 ± 0.3) mV/µg.mL−1 of sensitivity and 0.09 µg.mL−1 of detection limit. Therefore, the proposed system can be extended to detect NS1 in real samples and provide an early diagnosis of dengue.

Desenvolvimento de um método empregando quitosana para remoção de íons metálicos de águas residuárias

In this work a method was developed for removing metallic ions from wastewaters by co-precipitation of Cu2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, Cr3+ and Hg2+ with chitosan and sodium hydroxide solution. Solutions of these metallic ions in the range from 0.55 to 2160 mg L-1 were added to chitosan dissolved in 0.05 mol L-1 HCl. For the co-precipitation of metal-chitosan-hydroxide a 0.17 mol L-1 NaOH solution was added until pH 8.5-9.5. A parallel study was carried out applying a 0.17 mol L-1 NaOH solution to precipitate those metallic ions. Also, a chitosan solid phase column was used for removing those metallic ions from wastewaters.

Electrochemical Biosensors Based on Nanostructured Carbon Black: A Review

Carbon black (CB) is a nanostructured material widely used in several industrial processes. This nanomaterial features a set of remarkable properties including high surface area, high thermal and electrical conductivity, and very low cost. Several studies have explored the applicability of CB in electrochemical fields. Recent data showed that modified electrodes based on CB present fast charge transfer and high electroactive surface area, comparable to carbon nanotubes and graphene. These characteristics make CB a promising candidate for the design of electrochemical sensors and biosensors. In this review, we highlight recent advances in the use of CB as a template for biosensing. As will be seen, we discuss the main biosensing strategies adopted for enzymatic catalysis for several target analytes, such as glucose, hydrogen peroxide, and environmental contaminants. Recent applications of CB on DNA-based biosensors are also described. Finally, future challenges and trends of CB use in bioanalytical chemistry are discussed.