Xinsheng Wang

A novel nonenzymatic hydrogen peroxide sensor based on multi-wall carbon nanotube/silver nanoparticle nanohybrids modified gold electrode

A novel strategy to fabricate hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) sensor was developed based on multi-wall carbon nanotube/silver nanoparticle nanohybrids (MWCNT/Ag nanohybrids) modified gold electrode. The process to synthesize MWCNT/Ag nanohybrids was facile and efficient. In the presence of carboxyl groups functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were in situ generated from AgNO(3) aqueous solution and readily attached to the MWCNTs convex surfaces at room temperature, without any additional reducing reagent or irradiation treatment. The formation of MWCNT/Ag nanohybrids product was observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM), and the electrochemical properties of MWCNT/Ag nanohybrids modified gold electrode were characterized by electrochemical measurements. The results showed that this sensor had a favorable catalytic ability for the reduction of H(2)O(2). The resulted sensor could detect H(2)O(2) in a linear range of 0.05-17 mM with a detection limit of 5x10(-7)M at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The sensitivity was calculated as 1.42 microA/mM at a potential of -0.2 V. Additionally, it exhibited good reproducibility, long-term stability and negligible interference of ascorbic acid (AA), uric acid (UA), and acetaminophen (AP).

A novel glucose biosensor based on the immobilization of glucose oxidase onto gold nanoparticles-modified Pb nanowires

A novel glucose biosensor was developed, based on the immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOD) with cross-linking in the matrix of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on a Pt electrode, which was modified with gold nanoparticles decorated Pb nanowires (GNPs-Pb NWs). Pb nanowires (Pb NWs) were synthesized by an L-cysteine-assisted self-assembly route, and then gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were attached onto the nanowire surface through -SH-Au specific interaction. The morphological characterization of GNPs-Pb NWs was examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were used to study and to optimize the electrochemical performance of the resulting biosensor. The synergistic effect of Pb NWs and GNPs made the biosensor exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity and good response performance to glucose. The effects of pH and applied potential on the amperometric response of the biosensor have been systemically studied. In pH 7.0, the biosensor showed the sensitivity of 135.5 microA mM(-1) cm(-2), the detection limit of 2 microM (S/N=3), and the response time <5 s with a linear range of 5-2200 microM. Furthermore, the biosensor exhibits good reproducibility, long-term stability and relative good anti-interference.

Self-assembled film of hydrophobins on gold surfaces and its application to electrochemical biosensing

Hydrophobins are small fungal proteins which self-assemble on interfaces and significantly change the surface wettability. The self-assembled film of hydrophobin HFBI on a gold surface improved the surface hydrophilicity with water contact angle changing from 73.8+/-1.8 degrees to 45.3+/-1.4 degrees . A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) analysis indicated that the HFBI coverage density on a gold surface was 588 ng cm(-2), and the self-assembled film remained stable under different pH values ranging from 1 to 13. A hydrophilic protein such as choline oxidase (ChOx) was then successfully immobilized on the HFBI modified gold surface. To evaluate the bioactivity of immobilized enzyme, an amperometric choline biosensor was constructed based on the Gold/HFBI/ChOx electrode, which produced as large as 4578.27 nA response current by 0.238 microg immobilized ChOx, when saturated by choline substrate. Comparing with our choline biosensors previously reported, the HFBI self-assembled film exhibited excellent capability to preserve the bioactivity of ChOx, hence a great potential in electrochemical biosensing is suggested.

Synthesis of silver nanowires and their applications in the electrochemical detection of halide

A silver nanowires modified platinum (Ag NWs/Pt) electrode was developed for simultaneous and selective determination of chloride, bromide and iodide ions by cyclic voltammetry in aqueous solutions. Silver nanowires were synthesized by an l-cysteine-assisted poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP)-mediated polyol route. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were employed to investigate the prepared nanowires. The intrinsic high surface area and the fast electron transfer rate ascribed from the nanowire structure could further improve halide detection performance. The determination was based on measurement of the well-separated oxidation peak currents of respective silver halides formed on the surface of silver during an anodic potential sweep. The concentration range was linear from 50 μM to 20.2mM for bromide and iodide and 200 μM to 20.2mM for chloride, and the sensitivity was 0.059 μA/mM, 0.042 μA/mM and 0.032 μA/mM for chloride, bromide and iodide, respectively. The correlation coefficient was 0.999 in each case. The Ag NWs/Pt electrode offered a useful platform for the development of a highly sensitive halide sensor.

Noncovalently functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotubes in aqueous solution using the hydrophobin HFBI and their electroanalytical application

A novel noncovalent approach was developed for the functionalization of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) using the hydrophobin, HFBI. Owing to the amphipathic nature, HFBI can be adopted onto the surface of MWNTs to form HFBI-MWNTs nanocomposite with good dispersion in water. The HFBI-MWNTs nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and water contact angle measurements (WCA). Furthermore, a glucose biosensor was developed based on HFBI-MWNTs by a one-step casting method. The resulting biosensor displayed high sensitivity, wider linear range, low detection limit, and fast response for glucose detection, which implicated that the HFBI-MWNTs nanocomposite film holds great promise in the design of electrochemical devices, such as sensors and biosensors.

An optical biosensor for kinetic analysis of soluble Interleukin-1 receptor I binding to immobilized Interleukin-1α

We report here the development of an optical biosensor based on the resonant mirror for kinetic analysis of soluble Interleukin-1 receptor I (sIL-1R I) in solution binding to immobilized Interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha). IL-1alpha was immobilized through its surface amine groups via amide bonds with the carboxyl groups of the carboxymethyl dextran (CMD) on cuvette surface. The interaction of sIL-1R I and IL-1alpha was monitored in real time. Evaluation of the binding curves allowed the analysis of the binding kinetics. The linear range of sIL-1R I in solution was over a range of 100-1600nM (R=0.9962). Equilibrium dissociation constant (K(D)) was derived by Scatchard plot analysis for sIL-1R I binding to immobilized IL-1alpha. For this assay, the K(D) was 2.6x10(-6)M. The CMD cuvette modified by IL-1alpha was successfully regenerated using 10mM HCl, and the same sensing surface was used repeatedly for the interaction analysis.

Comparison of a Resonant Mirror Biosensor (IAsys) and a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) for the Study on Interaction between Paeoniae Radix 801 and Endothelin-1

A resonant mirror biosensor, IAsys, and a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) are known independently as surface sensitive analytical devices capable of label-free and in situ bioassays. In this study, an IAsys and a QCM are employed for a new study on the action mechanism of Paeoniae Radix 801 (P. radix 801) by detecting the specific interaction between P. radix 801 and endothelin-1 (ET-1). In the experiments, ET-1 was immobilized on the surfaces of the IAsys cuvette and the QCM substrate by surface modification techniques, and then P. radix 801 solution was contacted to the cuvette and the substrate, separately. Then, the binding and interaction process between P. radix 801 and ET-1 was monitored by IAsys and QCM, respectively. The experimental results showed that P. radix 801 binds ET-1 specifically. The IAsys and QCM response curves to the ET-1 immobilization and P. radix 801 binding are similar in reaction process, but different in binding profiles, reflecting different resonation principles. Although both IAsys and QCM could detect the interaction of P. radix 801 and ET-1 with high reproducibility and reliability through optimization of the ET-1 coating, the reproducibility and reliability obtained by IAsys are better than those obtained by QCM, since the QCM frequency is more sensitive to temperature fluctuations, atmospheric changes and mechanical disturbances. However, IAsys and QCM are generally potent and reliable tools to study the interaction of P. radix 801 and ET-1, and can conclusively be applied to the action mechanism of P. radix 801.

Determination of antimony, arsenic, bismuth, selenium, tellurium and tin by low pressure atomic absorption spectrometry with a quartz tube furnace atomizer and hydride generation with air addition

A new method has been developed for the determination of antimony, arsenic, bismuth, selenium, tellurium and tin by hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry in an electrically heated quartz tube furnace under sub-atmospheric pressure. The hydride generator, operating at a pressure lower than atmospheric, is used to generate and collect the hydrides of these elements. A certain volume (at atmospheric pressure) of air is then added to the generator after the formation of the volatile hydride. The gaseous mixture of the hydride and air is drawn into an evacuated, heated quartz tube by a vacuum pump. The proposed method gives improved sensitivities and detection limits.