Stephen N. Mailu

Electrochemical Aptasensor for Endocrine Disrupting 17β-Estradiol Based on a Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxylthiopene)-Gold Nanocomposite Platform

A simple and highly sensitive electrochemical DNA aptasensor with high affinity for endocrine disrupting 17β-estradiol, was developed. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxylthiophene) (PEDOT) doped with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was electrochemically synthesized and employed for the immobilization of biotinylated aptamer towards the detection of the target. The diffusion coefficient of the nanocomposite was 6.50 × 10−7 cm2 s−1, which showed that the nanocomposite was highly conducting. Electrochemical impedance investigation also revealed the catalytic properties of the nanocomposite with an exchange current value of 2.16 × 10−4 A, compared to 2.14 × 10−5 A obtained for the bare electrode. Streptavidin was covalently attached to the platform using carbodiimide chemistry and the aptamer immobilized via streptavidin—biotin interaction. The electrochemical signal generated from the aptamer–target molecule interaction was monitored electrochemically using cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry in the presence of [Fe(CN)6]−3/−4 as a redox probe. The signal observed shows a current decrease due to interference of the bound 17β-estradiol. The current drop was proportional to the concentration of 17β-estradiol. The PEDOT/AuNP platform exhibited high electroactivity, with increased peak current. The platform was found suitable for the immobilization of the DNAaptamer. The aptasensor was able to distinguish 17β-estradiol from structurally similar endocrine disrupting chemicals denoting its specificity to 17β-estradiol. The detectable concentration range of the 17β-estradiol was 0.1 nM–100 nM, with a detection limit of 0.02 nM.

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.

A Fumonisins Immunosensor Based on Polyanilino-Carbon Nanotubes Doped with Palladium Telluride Quantum Dots

An impedimetric immunosensor for fumonisins was developed based on poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline)-multi-wall carbon nanotubes doped with palladium telluride quantum dots onto a glassy carbon surface. The composite was assembled by a layer-by-layer method to form a multilayer film of quantum dots (QDs) and poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline)-multi-wall carbon nanotubes (PDMA-MWCNT). Preparation of the electrochemical immunosensor for fumonisins involved drop-coating of fumonisins antibody onto the composite modified glassy carbon electrode. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy response of the FB1 immunosensor (GCE/PT-PDMA-MWCNT/anti-Fms-BSA) gave a linear range of 7 to 49 ng L−1 and the corresponding sensitivity and detection limits were 0.0162 kΩ L ng−1 and 0.46 pg L−1, respectively, hence the limit of detection of the GCE/PT-PDMA-MWCNT immunosensor for fumonisins in corn certified material was calculated to be 0.014 and 0.011 ppm for FB1, and FB2 and FB3, respectively. These results are lower than those obtained by ELISA, a provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) for fumonisins (the sum of FB1, FB2, and FB3) established by the Joint FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives and contaminants of 2 μg kg−1 and the maximum level recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for protection of human consumption (2–4 mg L−1).