Highly efficient electrochemiluminescence of functionalized tris(2,2 '-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) enrichment of its co-reactants

An enhanced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) efficiency is obtained from the ruthenium complex tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)) by introduction of an ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMImBF(4)). Upon addition of 1% (v/v) BMImBF(4) to 0.1 mm Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) solution, a maximum increase in ECL intensity is obtained both at an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode (15-fold) and at a glassy carbon (GC) electrode (5- to 64old). Furthermore, upon addition of 1% (v/v) BMImBF4 to 5 pm Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)/100 mm co-reactant systems at a GC electrode, IL adsorption occurs at the electrode surface, which results in a change of the polarity of the electrode surface. Such functionalization greatly improves the functions of both Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) and ionic liquids, as is demonstrated in the sensitive and selective concentration enrichment of the Ru(bpy)(3)(2+) co-reactants.

Direct electrochemistry and electrocatalysis of horseradish peroxidase immobilized in Nafion-RTIL composite film

The composite film based on Nafion and hydrophobic room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([bmim] PF6) was explored. Here, Nafion was used as a binder to form Nafion-ionic liquids composite film and help [bmim] PF6 effectively adhered on glassy carbon (GC) electrode. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammtery (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to characterize this composite film, showing that the composite film can effectively adhere on the GC electrode surface through Nafion interacting with [bmim] PF6 and GC electrode. Meanwhile, doping [bmim] PF6 in Nafion can also effectively reduce the electron transfer resistance of Nafion. The composite film can be readily used as an immobilization matrix to entrap horseradish peroxidase (HRP). A pair of well-defined redox peaks of HRP was obtained at the HRP/Nafion[bmim] PF6 composite film-modified GC electrode through direct electron transfer between the protein and the underlying electrode. HRP can still retain its biological activity and enhance electrochemical reduction towards O-2 and H2O2. It is expected that this composite film may find more potential applications in biosensors and biocatalysis.

Effect of La3+ on structure and electrochemical reaction of microperoxidase-11 in imitated physiological solution

In this paper, the interaction mechanism between La3+ and microperoxidase-11 (MP-11) in the imitated physiological solution was investigated with the electrochemical and spectroscopic methods. It was found that when the molar ratio of La3+, and MP-11 is low, such as 2, La3+ can coordinate with oxygen in the propionic acid group of the heme group in the MP-11 molecule, forming the La-MP-11 complexes and leading to the increase in the non-planarity of the porphyrin cycle in the heme group and then the increase in the extent of exposure of the electrochemically active center, Fe(I I I) in the porphyrin cycle of the heme group. The increase in the extent of exposure of the electrochemically active center, Fe(III) in the porphyrin cycle of the heme group would increase the reversibility of the electrochemical reaction of the La-MP-11 complexes and its electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of H2O2. The results of the chromatographic analysis demonstrated that the average molar ratio of La3+ and MP-11 in the La-MP-11 complexes is 1.62.When the molar ratio of La3+ and MP-11 is high, such as 3, La3+ would shear some amino acid residues of the peptide of MP-11. Therefore, many La3+ ions can bind to the oxygen- and/or nitrogen-containing groups in the sheared amino acid residues except coordinating with the sheared and non-sheared MP-11 molecules.

Interaction between La3+ and MP-11 in the physiological solution

In this paper, the interaction between La3+ and microperoxidase-11 (MP-11) in the imitated physiological solution was investigated with the electrochemical method, circular dichroism (CD) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy. It was found that the interaction ways between La3+ and MP-11 are different with increasing the molar ratio of La3+ and MP-11. When the molar ratio of La3+ and MP-11 is less than 2, La3+ mainly interacts with the metacetonic acid group of the heme group in the MP-11 molecules, causing the increase in the non-planarity of the porphyrin cycle in the heme group and the decrease in the content of the random coil conformation of MP-11. These structural changes would increase the exposure extent of the electrochemical active center of MP-11 and thus, La3+ can promote the electrochemical reaction of MP-11 and its electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of H2O2 at the glassy carbon (GC) electrode. However, when the molar ratio of La3+ and MP-11 is larger than 3, except binding to the carbonyl oxygen of the metacetonic acid group in the heme group, La3+ interacts also with the oxygen-containing groups of the amides in the polypeptide chains of the MP-11 molecules, leading to the increase in the contents of the random coil conformation in the peptide of the MP-11 molecule, comparing with that for the molar ratio of less than 2.

Fabrication and characterization of DNA/QPVP-Os redox-active multilayer film

Calf thymus DNA was immobilized on functionalized glassy carbon, gold and quartz substrates, respectively, by the layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly method with a polycation QPVP-Os, a quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine) partially complexed with osmium bis(2,2'-bipyridine) as counterions. UV-visible absorption and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPR) showed that the resulting film was uniform with the average thickness 3.4 nm for one bilayer. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) showed that the total surface coverage of the polycations increases as each QPVP-Os/DNA bilayer added to the electrode surface, but the surface formal potential of Os-centered redox reaction shifts negatively, which is mainly attributed to the intercalation of redox-active complex to DNA chain. The electron transfer kinetics of electroactive QPVP-Os in the multilayer film was investigated by electrochemical impedance experiment for the first time. The permeability of Fe(CN)(6)(3-) in the solution into the multilayer film depends on the number of bilayers in the film. It is worth noting that when the multilayer film is up to 4 bilayers, the CV curves of the multilayer films display the typical characteristic of a microelectrode array.

pH-dependent conformational changes of ferricytochrome c induced by electrode surface microstructure

pH-dependent processes of bovine heart ferricytochrome c have been investigated by electronic absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectra at functionalized single-wall carbon 'nanotubes (SWNTs) modified glass carbon electrode (SWNTs/ GCE) using a long optical path thin layer cell. These methods enabled the pH-dependent conformational changes arising from the heme structure change to be monitored. The spectra obtained at functionalized SWNTs/GCE reflect electrode surface microstructure-dependent changes for pH-induced protein conformation, pK(a) of alkaline transition and structural microenvironment of the ferricytochrome c heme. pH-dependent conformational distribution curves of ferricytochrome c obtained by analysis of in situ CD spectra using singular value decomposition least square (SVDLS) method show that the functionalized SWNTs can retain native conformational stability of ferricytochrome c during alkaline transition.

Interaction of echinomycin with guanine: electrochemistry and spectroscopy studies

The interaction of antitumor antibiotic, echinomycin (Echi) with guanine (Gua) was thoroughly investigated by adsorptive transfer stripping cyclic voltammetry, ultraviolet and visible adsorption spectra (UV/Vis) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Electrochemistry provided a simple tool for verifying the occurrence of interaction between Echi and Gua. Echi could be accumulated from the solution and give well-defined electrochemical signals in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0) only when Gua was present on the surface of the electrochemically pretreated glass carbon electrode (GCE), suggesting a strong binding of Echi to Gua. All the acquired spectral data showed that a new adduct between Echi and Gua was formed, and two pairs of adjacent intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the Ala backbone atoms in Echi and Gua (Ala-NH to Gua-N3 and Gua-NH2 to Ala-CO) played a dominating role in the interaction. Electrochemistry coupled with spectroscopy techniques could provide a relatively easy way to obtain useful insights into the molecular mechanism of drug-DNA interactions, which should be important in the development of new anticancer drugs with specific base recognition.

The modification of screen-printed carbon electrodes with amino group and its application to construct a H2O2 biosensor

Electrooxidation of thionine on screen-printed carbon electrode gives rise to the modification of the surface with amino groups for the covalent immobilization of enzymes such as horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The biosensor was constructed using multilayer enzymes which covalently immobilized onto the surface of amino groups modified screen-printed carbon electrode using glutaraldehyde as a bifunctional reagent. The multilayer assemble of HRP has been characterized with the cyclic voltammetry and the faradaic impedance spectroscopy. The H2O2 biosensor exhibited a fast response (2 s) and low detection limit (0.5 muM).

Multilayer films of carbon nanotubes and redox polymer on screen-printed carbon electrodes for electrocatalysis of ascorbic acid

Multilayer films containing multiwall carbon nanotubes and redox polymer were successfully fabricated on a screen-printed carbon electrode using layer-by-layer (LBL) assembled method. UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical method were used to characterize the assembled multilayer films. The multilayer films modified electrodes exhibited good electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of ascorbic acid (AA). Compared with the bare electrode, the oxidation peak potential negatively shifted about 350 mV (versus Ag/AgCl). Furthermore, the modified screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) could be used for the determination of ascorbic acid in real samples.

Spectroelectrochemical and voltammetric studies of L-DOPA

The electrooxidation of L-dopa at GC electrode was studied by in situ UV-vis spectroelectrochemistry (SEC) and cyclic voltammetry. The mechanism of electrooxidation and some reaction parameters were obtained. The results showed that the whole electrooxidation reaction of L-dopa at glassy carbon (GC) electrode was an irreversible electrochemical process followed by a chemical reaction in neutral solution (EC mechanism). The spectroelectrochemical data were treated by the double logarithm method together with nonlinear regression, from which the formal potential E-0 = 228 mV, the apparent electron-transfer number of the electrooxidation reaction an = 0.376 (R = 0.99, SD = 0.26), the standard electrochemical rate constant k(0) (3.93 +/- 0.12) x 10(-)4 cm s(-1) (SD = 1.02 x 10(-2)), and the formation equilibrium constant of the following chemical reaction k(c)= (5.38+/-0.34) x 10(-1) s(-1) (SD = 1.02 x 10(-2)) were also obtained.

A strategy for constructing a hybrid bilayer membrane based on a carbon substrate

We construct a hybrid bilayer membrane (HBM) on a new substrate-carbon electrode. It is an extension of HBM based on other substrates. Primary alkylamine was chemically modified onto the surface of a carbon electrode by electrochemical scans; thus, a monolayer was formed on the electrode. Because the alkane chains section is toward the outside, a hydrophobic surface was constructed. Then a lipid monolayer was spread on the hydrophobic surface of the carbon electrode. The formed HBM was characterized by electrochemical and ATR-FT-IR methods. From ATR-FT-IR results, the lipid order parameter (S) of 0.73 was obtained. This kind of hybrid membrane has the advantages of a lipid/alkanethiol HBM. A potential application of this HBM as a biosensor (detecting K+) was given.

Lipid membrane immobilized horseradish peroxidase biosensor for amperometric determination of hydrogen peroxide

Stable films of didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB, a synthetic lipid) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were made by casting the mixture of the aqueous vesicle of DDAB and HRP onto the glassy carbon (GC) electrode. The direct electron transfer between electrode and HRP immobilized in lipid film has been demonstrated. The lipid films were used to supply a biological environment resembling biomembrane on the surface of the electrode. A pair of redox peaks attributed to the direct redox reaction of HRP were observed in the phosphate buffer solution (pH 5.5). The cathodic peak current increased dramatically while anodic peak decreased by addition of small amount H2O2. The pH effect on amperometric response to H2O2 was studied. The biosensor also exhibited fast response (5 s), good stability and reproducibility.

Microperoxidase-11 modified electrode and its electrocatalytic activity on the reduction of O-2 and H2O2

Microperoxidase-11 (MP-11) was immobilized on the surface of a silanized glass carbon electrode by means of the covalent bond with glutaraldehyde. The measurements of cyclic voltammetry demonstrated that the formal redox potential of immobilized MP-11 was -170 mV. which is significantly more positive than that of MP-11 in a solution or immobilized on the surface of electrodes prepared with other methods. This MP-11 modified electrode showed a good electrocatalytic activity and stability for the reduction of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide.

Promoter effect of La3+ on the electrochemical reaction of microperoxidase-11

The effect of La3+ on the electrochemical behavior and structure of heme undecapeptide-microperoxidase-11 (MP-11)-in the aqueous solution was investigated using cyclic voltammetry, circular dichroism (CD) and UV-vis absorption spectrometry. It was found for the first time that La3+ would promote the electrochemical reaction of MP-11 at the glassy carbon (GC) electrode. This is mainly due to the fact that La3+ would induce more beta-turn and alpha-helical conformations from the random coil conformation of MP-11 and increase the non-planarity of the heme.

Conformation change of horseradish peroxidase in lipid membrane

The electrochemical behavior of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in the dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) bilayer on the glassy carbon (GC) electrode was studied by cyclic voltammetry. The direct electron transfer of HRP was observed in the DMPC bilayer. Only a small cathodic peak was observed for HRP on the bare GC electrode. The electron transfer of HRP in the DMPC membrane is facilitated by DMPC membrane. UV-Vis and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy were used to study the interaction between HRP and DMPC membrane. On binding to the DMPC membrane the secondary structure of HRP remains unchanged while there is a substantial change in the conformation of the heme active site. Tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) was first applied for the investigation on the structure of HRP adsorbed on supported phospholipid bilayer on the mica and on the bare mica. HRP molecules adsorb and aggregate on the mica without DMPC bilayer. The aggregation indicates an attractive interaction among the adsorbed molecules. The molecules are randomly distributed in the DMPC bilayer. The adsorption of HRP in the DMPC bilayer changes drastically the domains and defects in the DMPC bilayer due to a strong interaction between HRP and DMPC films.