Biosensors electrical sensors

Polypyrrole (PPy) is intrinsically conducting polymer with conjugated double bonds. PPy and its composites are used as biosensors, gas sensors, wires, micro-actuators, anti-electrostatic coatings, electrolyte capacitors, electronic devices and functional membranes, etc. [28]. PPy can be synthesized by any of the chemical techniques reported in the literature (such as change of solvent, oxidant, dopant, the ratio of oxidant to pyrrole, reaction temperature, reaction time, etc.) [29, 30]. The room temperature conductivity of PPy is of the order of 10 S/cm [31]. The preparation technique aflfects the electrical conductivity of PPy and it is reported to be enhanced up to 90 S/cm prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization method [32]. The doping of PPy with a suitable dopant such as LiF may increase its conductivity to 4.56 x 10" S/cm [33]. 

Functionalized conducting monomers can be deposited on electrode surfaces aiming for covalent attachment or entrapment of sensor components. Electrically conductive polymers (qv), eg, polypyrrole, polyaniline [25233-30-17, and polythiophene/23 2JJ-J4-j5y, can be formed at the anode by electrochemical polymerization. For integration of bioselective compounds or redox polymers into conductive polymers, functionalization of conductive polymer films, whether before or after polymerization, is essential. In Figure 7, a schematic representation of an amperomethc biosensor where the enzyme is covalendy bound to a functionalized conductive polymer, eg, P-amino (polypyrrole) or poly[A/-(4-aminophenyl)-2,2 -dithienyl]pyrrole, is shown. Entrapment of ferrocene-modified GOD within polypyrrole is shown in Figure 7. 

In amperometry, we measure the electric current between a pair of electrodes that are driving an electrolysis reaction. One reactant is the intended analyte and the measured current is proportional to the concentration of analyte. The measurement of dissolved 02 with the Clark electrode in Box 17-1 is based on amperometry. Numerous biosensors also employ amperometry. Biosensors8-11 use biological components such as enzymes, antibodies, or DNA for highly selective response to one analyte. Biosensors can be based on any kind of analytical signal, but electrical and optical signals are most common. A different kind of sensor based on conductivity—the electronic nose —is described in Box 17-2 (page 360). 

Use of bilayer lipid membranes as a generic electrochemical transducer is an exciting future for food biosensors. A taste sensor with multichanneled lipid membrane electrode was recently developed (93). The electric patterns generated from the sensor are similar to human response. The sensor can distinguish different brands of beer. More details on the taste sensor can be found in Chapter 16 of this book. 

Carbon nanotubes, especially SWNTs, with their fascinating electrical properties, dimensional proximity to biomacromolecules (e.g., DNA of 1 nm in size), and high sensitivity to surrounding environments, are ideal components in biosensors not only as electrodes for signal transmission but also as detectors for sensing biomolecules and biospecies. In terms of configuration and detection mechanism, biosensors based on carbon nanotubes may be divided into two categories electrochemical sensors and field effect transistor (FET) sensors. Since a number of recent reviews on the former have been published,6,62,63 our focus here is mostly on FET sensors. 

Amperometric biosensors based on flavin-containing enzymes have been studied for nearly 30 years. These sensors typically undergo several chemical or electrochemical steps which produce a measurable current that is related to the substrate concentration. In the initial step, the substrate converts the oxidized flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) center of the enzyme into its reduced form (FADH2). Because these redox centers are essentially electrically insulated within the enzyme molecule, direct electron transfer to the surface of a conventional electrode does not occur to a substantial degree. The classical" methods (1-4) of indirectly measuring the amount of reduced enzyme, and hence the amount of substrate present, rely on the natural enzymatic reaction ... 

The diphenylalanine nanotube sensors were based on the observation that peptide nanotubes improve the electrochemical properties of graphite and gold electrodes when deposited directly onto the electrode surface (Yemini et al., 2005b). The high surface area of the nanotubes and the potential alignment of aromatic residues are thought to contribute to the observed increase in conductivity. This property makes nanotube-coated electrodes and hydrophobin-coated electrodes suitable for use as amperometric biosensors that produce a current in response to an electrical potential across two electrodes. 

---