Wenwen Tu

Low-Potential Photoelectrochemical Biosensing Using Porphyrin-Functionalized TiO2 Nanoparticles

A novel photoelectrochemical biosensing platform for the detection of biomolecules at relatively low applied potentials was constructed using porphyrin-functionalized TiO₂ nanoparticles. The functional TiO₂ nanoparticles were prepared by dentate binding of TiO₂ with sulfonic groups of water-soluble [meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin] iron(III) monochloride (FeTPPS) and characterized by transmission electron microscopy; contact angle measurement; and Raman, X-ray photoelectron, and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopies. The functional nanoparticles showed good dispersion in water and on indium tin oxide (ITO) surface. The resulting FeTPPS-TiO₂-modified ITO electrode showed a photocurrent response at +0.2 V to a light excitation at 380 nm, which could be further sensitized through an oxidation process of biomolecules by the hole-injected FeTPPS. Using glutathione as a model, a methodology for sensitive photoelectrochemical biosensing at low potential was thus developed. Under optimal conditions, the proposed photoelectrochemical method could detect glutathione ranging from 0.05 to 2.4 mmol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 0.03 mmol L⁻¹ at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The photoelectrochemical biosensor had an excellent specificity against anticancer drugs and could be successfully applied to the detection of reduced glutathione in gluthion injection, showing a promising application in photoelectrochemical biosensing.

Characterization, Direct Electrochemistry, and Amperometric Biosensing of Graphene by Noncovalent Functionalization with Picket‐Fence Porphyrin

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was prepared and functionalized with picket-fence porphyrin, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis [αααα-2-trismethylammoniomethylphenyl] porphyrin iron(III) pentachloride (FeTMAPP), through π-π interactions. The resulting nanocomposite was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM); transmission electron microscopy (TEM); contact angle measurements; and fluorescence, Raman, and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy. On account of the introduction of positively charged FeTMAPP, the functionalized RGO showed good dispersion in aqueous solution. The RGO could greatly accelerate the electron transfer of FeTMAPP to produce a well-defined redox couple of Fe(III)/Fe(II) at -0.291 and -0.314 V. Due to the synergic effect between RGO and the porphyrin, the nanocomposite showed excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of chlorite, thus leading to highly sensitive amperometric biosensing at low applied potential. The biosensor for chlorite showed a linear range from 5.0×10(-8) to 1.2×10(-4) mol L(-1) with a detection limit of 2.4×10(-8) mol L(-1) at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The picket-fence porphyrin could serve as an efficient species to functionalize graphene for electronic and optical applications.

Visible light induced photoelectrochemical biosensing based on oxygen-sensitive quantum dots

A visible light induced photoelectrochemical biosensing platform based on oxygen-sensitive near-infrared quantum dots (NIR QDs) was developed for detection of glucose. The NIR QDs were synthesized in an aqueous solution, and characterized with scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The as-prepared NIR QDs were employed to construct oxygen-sensitive photoelectrochemical biosensor on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrode. The oxygen dependency of the photocurrent was investigated at as-prepared electrode, which demonstrated the signal of photocurrent is suppressed with the decreasing of oxygen. Coupling with the consumption of oxygen during enzymatic reaction, a photoelectrochemical strategy was proposed for the detection of substrate. Using glucose oxidase (GOx) as a model enzyme, that is, GOx was covalently attached to the surface of CdTe QDs, the resulting biosensor showed the sensitive response to glucose. Under the irradiation of visible light of a wavelength at 505 nm, the proposed photoelectrochemical method could detect glucose ranging from 0.1 mM to 11 mM with a detection limit of 0.04 mM. The photoelectrochemical biosensor showed a good performance with high upper detection limit, acceptable stability and accuracy, providing an alternative method for monitoring biomolecules and extending the application of near-infrared QDs.

Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes with Water‐Insoluble Porphyrin in Ionic Liquid: Direct Electrochemistry and Highly Sensitive Amperometric Biosensing for Trichloroacetic Acid

A functional composite of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with hematin, a water-insoluble porphyrin, was first prepared in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF(6)]) ionic liquid. The novel composite in ionic liquid was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and showed a pair of direct redox peaks of the Fe(III)/Fe(II) couple. The composite-[BMIM][PF(6)]-modified glassy carbon electrode showed excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) in neutral media due to the synergic effect among SWNTs, [BMIM][PF(6)], and porphyrin, which led to a highly sensitive and stable amperometric biosensor for TCA with a linear range from 9.0x10(-7) to 1.4x10(-4) M. The detection limit was 3.8x10(-7) M at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The TCA biosensor had good analytical performance, such as rapid response, good reproducibility, and acceptable accuracy, and could be successfully used for the detection of residual TCA in polluted water. The functional composite in ionic liquid provides a facile way to not only obtain the direct electrochemistry of water-insoluble porphyrin, but also construct novel biosensors for monitoring analytes in real environmental samples.

Sandwich nanohybrid of single-walled carbon nanohorns-TiO2-porphyrin for electrocatalysis and amperometric biosensing towards chloramphenicol.

A sandwich nanohybrid of single-walled carbon nanohorn-TiO2-porphyrin was prepared via the dentate binding of TiO2 nanoparticles to carboxylate groups, which showed an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the reduction of chloramphenicol in neutral media, leading to a highly sensitive and stable amperometric biosensor for chloramphenicol.

Noncovalent Assembly of Picket‐Fence Porphyrins on Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Nanotubes for Highly Efficient Catalysis and Biosensing

A water-insoluble picket-fence porphyrin was first assembled on nitrogen-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CN(x) MWNTs) through Fe--N coordination for highly efficient catalysis and biosensing. Scanning electron micrographs, Raman spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectra, UV/Vis absorption spectra, and electrochemical impedance spectra were employed to characterize this novel nanocomposite. By using electrochemical methods on the porphyrin at low potential in neutral aqueous solution, the presence of CN(x) MWNTs led to the direct formation of a high-valent iron(IV)-porphyrin unit, which produced excellent catalytic activity toward the oxidation of sulfite ions. By using sulfite ions, a widely used versatile additive and preservative in the food and beverage industries, as a model, a highly sensitive amperometric biosensor was proposed. The biosensor showed a linear range of four orders of magnitude from 8.0x10(-7) to 4.9x10(-3) mol L(-1) and a detection limit of 3.5x10(-7) mol L(-1) due to the highly efficient catalysis of the nanocomposite. The designed platform and method had good analytical performance and could be successfully applied in the determination of sulfite ions in beverages. The direct noncovalent assembly of porphyrin on CN(x) MWNTs provided a facile way to design novel biofunctional materials for biosensing and photovoltaic devices.

Biosensing strategy based on photocurrent quenching of quantum dots via energy resonance absorption

A new concept of energy resonance absorption for photocurrent quenching was proposed using a system of quantum dots (QDs) and the matched dye. The QDs were used as the photocurrent producer, and the dye had an absorption band overlapped with that of the QDs, which led to the resonance absorption of the excitation energy and thus decreased the photocurrent of QDs. By using porphyrin and fluorscein isothiocyanate isomer I as the resonance absorption dyes, the proposed mechanism was proved by UV-Vis spectra, photoluminescence spectra and photocurrent-to-wavelength response, respectively. The interaction of the absorption-matched dye with biomolecule could be conveniently used to introduce it into the photocurrent quenching system, leading to a simple switch-off biosensing method for detection of the biomolecule. As example, a label-free method was proposed for photoelectrochemical detection of target DNA. This method showed a detection range from 6.0 to 600 nmol/L with a detection limit of 2.5 nmol/L. The result demonstrated that the photocurrent quenching via energy resonance absorption not only contributed to the theoretical study of photoelectrochemistry, but also provided a universal tool for photoelectrochemical biosensing.