Carbon nanotube enzyme hybrids

Zhou, X., et al., Facile synthesis of nanospindle-like Cu20/straight multi-walled carbon nanotube hybrid nanostructures and their application in enzyme-free glucose sensing. Sensors and Actuators B Chemical, 2012.168 p. 1-7. 

Metallic nanoparticles and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) exhibit nanoscale dimensions comparable with the dimensions of redox proteins. This enables the construction of NP-enzyme or SWCNT-enzyme hybrids that combine the unique conductivity features of the nanoelements with the biocatalytic redox properties of the enzymes, to yield wired bioelectrocatalyts with large electrode surface areas. Indeed, substantial advances in nanobiotechnology were achieved by the integration of redox enzymes with nanoelements and the use of the hybrid systems in different bioelectronic devices.35... 

The use of electrodes modified with immobilized redox-active molecules provides a simple methodology by which to study the ultrathin film electrochemistry of water-insoluble redox-active molecules, encouraging the application of such techniques to biomimetic membranes in aqueous media. It is of interest to use monolayer and LB films of enzymes, proteins, and antibodies as biosensors or biomolecular switches because of their high sensitivity for their substrates and antigens, respectively. The formation of thin fullerene films including fullerene-lipid hybrid and fullerene-lipid composite bilayer membranes is of interest both from a fundamental and practical application point of view. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are novel nanomaterials that have remarkable electronic, mechanical, and thermal properties, and specific functions. Soluble carbon nanotubes in aqueous and organic systems are of interest since their study allows the... 

In particular, the unique properties of polypyrrole-carbon nanotubes allowed the detection of hybridization reactions with complementary deoxyribonucleic acid sequences via a decrease in impedance [115], Alternatively, similar deoxyribonucleic acid sensors have been created from a composite of polypyrrole and carbon nanotube functionalized with carbon groups to covalently immobilize deoxyribonucleic acid into carbon nanotubes [116, 117]. Carbon nanotubes have also been incorporated into biosensors as nanotube arrays into which enzymes can be immobilized, along with a conducting polymer [118] and a polypyrrole dopan [119]. In general, the presence of carbon nanotubes tends to increase the overall sensitivity and selectivity of biosensors. 

Since the report of carbon nanotubes (CNT) in 1991, much attention has been focused on their unique electrical and mechanical properties. The integration of bioactive molecules (enzymes, proteins, antigens, antibodies, DNA, etc.) with CNT enables the use of the hybrid systems as biosensor devices (enzyme electrodes, immunosensors, or DNA sensors), but the hydrophobicity of the CNT limits their application in biology. Thus, the functionalization of CNT with biopolymers promises to be one of the most successful methods to improve the hydrophilicity of CNT. These biopolymers can bring a hydrophilic surface of the CNT for covalent, absorptive, or ionic bindings with bioactive molecules. 

Das, D. and Das, P.K. Superior aetivity of structurally deprived enzyme- carbon nanotube hybrids in cationic reverse mieelles.Lang7zztzzr.2009, 25(8), 4421 428. 

Wang J, Kawde AN, Jan MR (2004) Carbon-nanotube-modified electrodes for amplified enzyme-based electrical detection of DNA hybridization. Biosens Bioelectron 20 995-1000... 

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