Showing papers on "Differential pulse voltammetry published in 2022"

Review—Recent Advances of Electrochemical Techniques in Food, Energy, Environment, and Forensic Applications

Abstract: The presence of metals and semimetals can provide various information. In archeological samples, for instance, the investigation of metals can indicate the age of the objects, valuable information in historical studies; meanwhile, in cosmetics and food samples, their presence can indicate contamination which can cause severe problems to human health. In fuels, metals can cause environmental damage, economic loss, and damage car engine parts; therefore, their determination provides information about the fuel quality, while in gunshot residues samples they provide evidence of a crime scene and even help to identify the suspect, showing the considerable versatility of the results of a metal determination. Electrochemical techniques such as differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV), voltammetry of immobilized microparticles (VIMP), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) have been used for these analyses due to their simplicity, sensitivity, low cost, and quickness. The paper presents the advances in electroanalysis performed in the last ten years (2011–2020) to determine metals in archeological, cosmetics, food, fuels, and gunshot residues samples.

A Strategy for Accessing Nanobody-Based Electrochemical Sensors for Analyte Detection in Complex Media

Abstract: Nanobodies are single variable domain antibodies isolated from camelids and are rapidly distinguishing themselves as ideal recognition elements in biosensors due to their comparative stability, ease of production and isolation, and high binding affinities. However, transducing analyte binding by nanobodies in real time is challenging, as most nanobodies do not directly produce an optical or electrical signal upon target recognition. Here, we report a general strategy to fabricate sensitive and selective electrochemical sensors incorporating nanobodies for detecting target analytes in heterogeneous media, such as cell lysate. Graphite felt can be covalently functionalized with recombinant HaloTag-modified nanobodies. Subsequent encapsulation with a thin layer of a hydrogel using a vapor deposition process affords encapsulated electrodes that directly display a decrease in current upon antigen binding, without added redox mediators. Differential pulse voltammetry affords clear and consistent decreases in electrode current across multiple electrode samples for specific antigen concentrations. The change in observed current vs increasing antigen concentration follows Langmuir binding characteristics, as expected. Importantly, selective and repeatable target binding in unpurified cell lysate is only demonstrated by the encapsulated electrode, with an antigen detection limit of ca. 30 pmol, whereas bare electrodes lacking encapsulation produce numerous false positive signals in control experiments.

A polypyrrole/GO/ZnO nanocomposite modified pencil graphite electrode for the determination of andrographolide in aqueous samples

Abstract: This paper presents a novel electrochemical sensor based on a pencil graphite electrode (PGE) modified with molecularly imprinted graphene oxide/zinc oxide nanocomposites for a sensitive detection of andrographolide. This is the first report of the novel method of electroanalytical determination of andrographolide through a modified PGE. The modified PGE was successfully fabricated and characterized. Then, quantitative analyses were performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The optimum conditions for this analysis were the supporting electrolyte containing 0.1 M KCl and 0.001 M K3Fe(CN)6, citrate buffer of pH 4, modulation amplitude of 50 mV, and scan rate of 10 mV/s. Under optimized parameters, a good linear response was obtained for andrographolide detection by DPV with a range of 50–145 µM and a detection limit of 42.6 µM. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) of the three measurements is 1.47%, which shows the excellent repeatability of the proposed method, while reproducibility analysis produced a R.S.D. value of 4.46%. The proposed technique with optimum conditions exhibited good selectivity towards the detection of andrographolide in the presence of ascorbic acid, uric acid, and cyclodextrin. This method was successfully applied to determine andrographolide in real water samples, and the results are comparable with the established method.

Polypyrrole Based Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Platform for Klebsiella pneumoniae Detection

Abstract: The present work describes the synthesis of molecular imprinting polymer (MIP) and electrochemical sensing of Klebsiella pneumonia (K. pneumonia) bacteria by electrochemical technique. K. pneumonia has far reached ill effects on the human body, hence it is essential to monitor its levels. A MIP platform based on polypyrrole (PPy) was developed for electrochemical sensing of K. pneumonia to monitor its levels. The developed sensor has good sensitivity (3 μA ml CFU-cm−2), a low limit of detection (LOD) of 1.352 CFU ml−1 in the linear detection range of 1 to 105 CFU per ml. The molecular imprinting was carried out by polymerization of pyrrole in the presence of K. pneumonia and then removed the bacteria by ultrasonication to obtain the MIP. The fabrication of electrodes is done by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of MIP onto the hydrolyzed ITO-coated glass surface. The detection was done by the electrochemical differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) technique. The synthesized final product is then characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) technique to understand its structure and confirm the successful synthesis of the desired MIP. The selectivity studies were performed against two other bacteria and different ions that are present in healthy human urine. To check the applicability in real sample studies, spiked urine samples were used.

Smartphone-Based Electrochemical Immunoassay for Point-of-Care Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein

Abstract: Large-scale, rapid, and inexpensive serological diagnoses of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) are of great interest in reducing virus transmission at the population level; however, their development is greatly plagued by the lack of available point-of-care methods, leading to low detection efficiency. Herein, an ultrasensitive smartphone-based electrochemical immunoassay is reported for rapid (less than 5 min), low-cost, easy-to-implement detection of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (SARS-CoV-2 N protein). Specifically, the electrochemical immunoassay was fabricated on a screen-printed carbon electrode coated with electrodeposited gold nanoparticles, followed by incubation of anti-N antibody (Ab) and bovine serum albumin as the working electrode. Accompanied by the antigen–antibody reaction between the SARS-CoV-2 N protein and the Ab, the electron transfer between the electroactive species [Fe(CN)6]3–/4– and the electrode surface is disturbed, resulting in reduced square-wave voltammetry currents at 0.075 V versus the Ag/AgCl reference electrode. The proposed immunoassay provided a good linear range with SARS-CoV-2 N protein concentrations within the scope of 0.01–1000 ng/mL (R2 = 0.9992) and the limit of detection down to 2.6 pg/mL. Moreover, the detection data are wirelessly transmitted to the interface of the smartphone, and the corresponding SARS-CoV-2 N protein concentration value is calculated and displayed. Therefore, the proposed portable detection mode offers great potential for self-differential diagnosis of residents, which will greatly facilitate the effective control and large-scale screening of virus transmission in resource-limited areas.

An electrochemical sensor for detection of trace-level endocrine disruptor bisphenol A using Mo2Ti2AlC3 MAX phase/MWCNT composite modified electrode.

Abstract: Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrially preferred material for the production of plastic and polycarbonate as well as a used material for the interior of food and beverage cans. In this study, synthesis and electrochemical sensor application of Mo2Ti2AlC3/MWCNT (multi-walled carbon nanotube) nanocomposite for BPA sensing was evaluated. Mo2Ti2AlC3 was used as MAX phase material in the design of the sensor, and MWCNT was preferred to increase conductivity and sensitivity. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were used to determine Mo2Ti2AlC3/MWCNT nanocomposite's electrochemical sensor performances which had LOD of 2.7 nM and LOQ of 8.91 nM in the linear working range of 0.01-8.50 μM calculated from DPV. The composite showed a single oxidation step against BPA which is diffusion-controlled and irreversible. The sensor was successfully applied for the determination of BPA in milk pack, plastic bottle, and can with recoveries ranging from 95.67% to 100.60%. In addition, sensor performance was examined through selectivity, repeatability, and reusability studies. HPLC as a standard determination method was carried out for accuracy of the voltammetric determination method in the real samples. The developed sensor could be applied to different areas from industry quality control to clinical analysis for the detection of BPA.

Catalytic Hairpin Assembly-Driven Ratiometric Dual-Signal Electrochemical Biosensor for Ultrasensitive Detection of MicroRNA Based on the Ratios of Fe-MOFs and MB-GA-UiO-66-NH2.

Abstract: In this work, a novel ratio electrochemical biosensing platform based on catalytic hairpin assembly target recovery to trigger dual-signal output was developed for ultrasensitive detection of microRNA (miRNA). To achieve the ratiometric dual-signal strategy, methylene blue (MB), an electrochemical indicator, was ingeniously loaded into the pores of graphene aerogel (GA) and metal-organic framework (MOF) composites with high porosity and large specific surface area, and another electrochemical indicator Fe-MOFs with distinct separation of redox potential was selected as a signal probe. Concretely, with the presence of the target miRNA, the CHA process was initiated and the signal probe was introduced to the electrode surface, producing abundant double-stranded H1-H2@Fe-MOFs-NH2. Then, the measurement and analysis of the prepared ratiometric electrochemical biosensor by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) showed that the introduction of the target miRNA led to an increase in the oxidation peak signal of Fe-MOFs (+0.8 V) and a decrease in the oxidation peak signal of MB (-0.23 V). Therefore, the peak current ratio of IFe-MOFs/IMB could be employed to accurately reflect the actual concentration of miRNA. Under optimal conditions, the detection limit of the proposed biosensor was down to 50 aM. It was worth noting that the proposed biosensor exhibited excellent detection performance in a complex serum environment and tumor cell lysates, showing great potential in biosensing and clinical diagnosis.

Voltammetric Determination of Isoniazid in the Presence of Acetaminophen Utilizing MoS2-Nanosheet-Modified Screen-Printed Electrode

Abstract: We used MoS2 nanosheets (MoS2 NSs) for surface modification of screen-printed electrode (MoS2NSs-SPE) aimed at detecting isoniazid (INZ) in the presence of acetaminophen (AC). According to analysis, an impressive catalytic performance was found for INZ and AC electro-oxidation, resulting in an appreciable peak resolution (~320 mV) for both analytes. Chronoamperometry, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), linear sweep voltammogram (LSV), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were employed to characterize the electrochemical behaviors of the modified electrode for the INZ detection. Under the optimal circumstances, there was a linear relationship between the peak current of oxidation and the various levels of INZ (0.035–390.0 µM), with a narrow limit of detection (10.0 nM). The applicability of the as-developed sensor was confirmed by determining the INZ and AC in tablets and urine specimens, with acceptable recoveries.

Highly Sensitive Electrochemical Immunosensor Platforms for Dual Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antigen and Antibody based on Gold Nanoparticle Functionalized Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites

Abstract: In this work, we report a facile synthesis of graphene oxide–gold (GO–Au) nanocomposites by electrodeposition. The fabricated electrochemical immunosensors are utilized for the dual detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigen and SARS-CoV-2 antibody. The GO–Au nanocomposites has been characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for its biosensing properties. The linear detection range of the SARS-CoV-2 antigen immunosensor is 10.0 ag mL–1 to 50.0 ng mL–1, whereas that for the antibody immunosensor ranges from 1.0 fg mL–1 to 1.0 ng mL–1. The calculated limit of detection (LOD) of the SARS-CoV-2 antigen immunosensor is 3.99 ag mL–1, and that for SARS-CoV-2 antibody immunosensor is 1.0 fg mL–1 with high sensitivity. The validation of the immunosensor has also been carried out on patient serum and patient swab samples from COVID-19 patients. The results suggest successful utilization of the immunosensors with a very low detection limit enabling its use in clinical samples. Further work is needed for the standardization of the results and translation in screen-printed electrodes for use in portable commercial applications.

Aptamer-Target Recognition-Promoted Ratiometric Electrochemical Strategy for Evaluating the Microcystin-LR Residue in Fish without Interferences.

Abstract: Given the significance of food safety, it is highly urgent to develop a sensitive yet reliable sensor for the practical analysis of algal toxins. As most of the developed sensors are disturbed by interfering substances and the target toxin is detected in a single-signal manner based on the immunoassay technology. Herein, we developed an aptamer-based dual-signal ratiometric electrochemical sensor for the sensitive and accurate analysis of microcystin-LR (MC-LR), using it as a proof-of-concept analyte. Methylene blue-tagged ssDNA (MB-ssDNA) was immobilized at the gold electrode surface accompanied with the absence of ferrocene-tagged ssDNA (Fc-ssDNA), resulting in a high differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) current of MB and a low DPV current of Fc. The recognition of MB-ssDNA by MC-LR stimulated the formation of MC-LR@MB-ssDNA, which induced the removal of MB-ssDNA from the electrode and the exposure of SH-ssDNA, enabling Fc-ssDNA to be captured at the electrode surface via nucleic acid hybridization. In comparison with MC-LR deficiency, the DPV signal of MB dropped along with an improved DPV signal of Fc, contributing to the ratiometric detection of MC-LR, with the limit of detection down to 0.0015 nM. Furthermore, this ratiometric electrochemical sensor was successfully explored to assess the bioaccumulated amount of MC-LR in the liver and meat of fish. The aptamer-based ratiometric strategy to develop an electrochemical MC-LR assay will offer a promising avenue to develop high-performance sensors, and the sensor will find more useful application in MC-LR-related aquatic product safety studies.