Microchimica Acta

Bertók, Tomáš; Katrlík, Jaroslav; Gemeiner, Peter; Tkac, Jan

doi: 10.1007/s00604-012-0876-4pmid: 27239071

Glycans and other saccharide moieties attached to proteins and lipids, or present on the surface of a cell, are actively involved in numerous physiological or pathological processes. Their structural flexibility (that is based on the formation of various kinds of linkages between saccharides) is making glycans superb "identity cards". In fact, glycans can form more "words" or "codes" (i.e., unique sequences) from the same number of "letters" (building blocks) than DNA or proteins. Glycans are physicochemically similar and it is not a trivial task to identify their sequence, or—even more challenging—to link a given glycan to a particular physiological or pathological process. Lectins can recognise differences in glycan compositions even in their bound state and therefore are most useful tools in the task to decipher the "glycocode". Thus, lectin-based biosensors working in a label-free mode can effectively complement the current weaponry of analytical tools in glycomics.This review gives an introduction into the area of glycomics and then focuses on the design, analytical performance, and practical utility of lectin-based electrochemical label-free biosensors for the detection of isolated glycoproteins or intact cells.

Chen, Shihong; Yuan, Ruo; Chai, Yaqin; Hu, Fangxin

doi: 10.1007/s00604-012-0904-4pmid: N/A

We are reviewing the state of electrochemical sensing of H2O2 based on the use of metal nanoparticles. The article is divided into subsections on sensors based on nanoparticles made from Ag, Pt, Pd, Cu, bimetallic nanoparticles and other metals. Some sensors display high sensitivity, fast response, and good stability. The review is subdivided into sections on sensors based on heme proteins and on nonenzymatic sensors. We also discussed the challenges of nanoscaled sensors and their future aspects.

Rezaei, Behzad; Rahmanian, Omid; Ensafi, Ali

doi: 10.1007/s00604-012-0897-zpmid: N/A

We report on an electrode for the amperometric determination of lorazepam. A glassy carbon electrode was coated with a molecular imprint made by electropolymerization of ortho-phenylenediamine and filled with multiwalled carbon nanotubes and gold nanoparticles, which enhances the transmission of electrons. The sensor was studied with respect to its response to hexacyanoferrate (III) as a probe and by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry. The linear response range to Lorazepam is from 0.5 nM to 1.0 nM and from 1.0 nM to 10.0 nM, with a detection limit of 0.2 nM (at an S/N of 3). The electrode was successfully applied to determine Lorazepam in spiked human serum.

Kamran, Sedigheh; Asadi, Mozaffar; Absalan, Ghodratollah

doi: 10.1007/s00604-012-0901-7pmid: N/A

We have prepared and characterized Fe3O4 nanoparticles and their binary mixtures (IL-Fe3O4) with 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide as ionic liquid for use in the adsorption of lysozyme (LYS), bovine serum albumin (BSA), and myoglobin (MYO). The optimum operational conditions for the adsorption of proteins (at 0.05–2.0 mg mL−1) were 4.0 mg mL−1 of nanoparticles and a contact time of 10 min. The maximum adsorption capacities are 455, 182 and 143 mg for LYS, BSA, and MYO per gram of adsorbent, respectively. The Langmuir model better fits the adsorption isotherms, with adsorption constants of 0.003, 0.015 and 0.008 L mg−1, in order, for LYS, BSA, MYO. The applicability of two kinetic models including pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order model was estimated on the basis of comparative analysis of the corresponding rate parameters, equilibrium adsorption capacity and correlation coefficients. The adsorption processes are endothermic. The proteins can be desorbed from the nanoparticles by using NaCl solution at pH 9.5, and the nanoparticles thus can be recycled.

Li, Junhua; Kuang, Daizhi; Feng, Yonglan; Zhang, Fuxing; Xu, Zhifeng; Liu, Mengqin; Wang, Deping

doi: 10.1007/s00604-012-0905-3pmid: N/A

We report on a glassy carbon electrode that was modified with a composite made from graphene oxide (GO) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) that enables highly sensitive determination of L-tyrosine. The sensor was characterized by transmission electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and its electrochemical properties by cyclic voltammetry, chronocoulometry and differential pulse voltammetry. The GO/MWCNT hybrid exhibits strong catalytic activity toward the oxidation of L-tyrosine, with a well defined oxidation peak at 761 mV. The respective current serves as the analytical information and is proportional to the L-tyrosine concentration in two ranges of different slope (0.05 to 1.0 μM and 1.0 to 650.0 μM), with limits of detection and quantification as low as 4.4 nM and 14.7 nM, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of L-tyrosine in human body fluids. The excellent reproducibility, stability, sensitivity and selectivity are believed to be due to the combination of the electrocatalytic properties of both GO and MWCNT. They are making this hybrid electrode a potentially useful electrochemical sensing platform for bioanalysis.

Patra, Digambara; Aridi, Riwa; Bouhadir, Kamal

doi: 10.1007/s00604-012-0903-5pmid: N/A

We report on the synthesis of microcapsules (MCs) containing self-assembled nanoparticles formed from poly[diallylammonium chloride-co-(sulfur dioxide)] in the presence of citrate and silica sol nanoparticles. The MCs are spherical, and SEM and optical microscopy reveal them to have micrometer size. The fluorescent probe curcumin was encapsulated in the MCs and found to be located in the shell. The fluorescence of curcumin in the MCs is altered depending on their microenvironment. Effects of pH and ammonia on the fluorescence of curcumin in the MCs also were studied. The brightness of the probe in the MCs increases on addition of DNA. The effect was used to determine DNA from fish sperm by fluorometry. The association constant (K) is 4 000 mL.g−1, and the number of binding sites is ~1.0.

Tajabadi, Fateme; Yamini, Yadollah; Sovizi, Mohammad

doi: 10.1007/s00604-012-0913-3pmid: N/A

We report on a method for the extraction of the lanthanide ions La(III), Sm(III), Nd(III) and Pr(III) using a carbon-ferrite magnetic nanocomposite as a new adsorbent, and their determination via flow injection ICP-OES. The lanthanide ions were converted into their complexes with 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol, and these were adsorbed onto the nanocomposite. Fractional factorial design and central composite design were applied to optimize the extraction efficiencies to result in preconcentration factors in the range of 141–246. Linear calibration plots were obtained, the limits of detection (at S/N = 3) are between 0.5 and 10 μg L−1, and the intra-day precisions (n = 3) range from 3.1 to 12.8 %. The method was successfully applied to a certified reference material.

Sun, Xiulan; Guan, Lu; Shi, Hui; Ji, Jian; Zhang, Yinzhi; Li, Zaijun

doi: 10.1007/s00604-012-0912-4pmid: N/A

We report on a sensitive, simple, label-free impedance-based immunoelectrode for the determination of microcystin-LR (MCLR). The surface of the electrode was modified with a composite made from multiwalled carbon nanotubes and an ionic liquid, and with immobilized polyclonal antibody against MCLR. Cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy were applied to characterize the modified electrode. It is found that the multi-walled carbon nanotubes act as excellent mediators for the electron transfer between the electrode and dissolved hexacyanoferrate redox pair, while the ionic liquid renders it biocompatible. The method exhibits a wide linear range (0.005 μg•L-1 to 1.0 μg•L-1), a low detection limit (1.7 ng•L-1) and a long-term stability of around 60 days. The ionic liquid 1-amyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate gave the best impedimetric response. The new immunoelectrode is sensitive, stable, and easily prepared. It has been successfully applied to the determination of MCLR in water samples.

Xu, Hua; Zhang, Maochun; Ding, Haibo; Xie, Zhuoying

doi: 10.1007/s00604-012-0914-2pmid: N/A

Colloidal crystal beads (CCBs) were fabricated by assembling monodisperse silica nanoparticles via a microfluidic device. The pore size of the CCBs was tuned by using different nanoparticles. The CCBs were then coated with cadmium telluride quantum dots and zinc(II) meso-tetraphenylporphyrin for the purpose of optical sensing. Ammonia causes the color of the sensor to change from green to red. The method has a dynamic range of 0–2500 ppm, good reversibility, and is not sensitive to humidity. The limit of detection is 7 ppm. The sensor has the advantage of a porous microcarrier structure and that pore sizes can be well controlled and thus can fulfill various demands in gas detection.

Çubukçu, Meliha; Ertaş, Fatma; Anık, Ülkü

doi: 10.1007/s00604-012-0910-6pmid: N/A

Centri-voltammetry is a method for concentrating an analyte on an electrode with the aid of a centrifuge. It can be performed in the presence or the absence of a solid carrier/support. This is followed by a voltammetric (analytical) scan. Specifically, we describe here an application of the technique to the determination of glutathione (GSH). Silica gel is used as the carrier precipitate to which gold nanoparticles were added in order to improve accumulation as a result of their strong affinity for thiols. Voltammetry was performed with a carbon paste electrode modified with multi-wall carbon nanotubes. The response to GSH is linear in the 25 and 800 μM concentration range (the correlation coefficient being 0.9915) and the relative standard deviation is 3.40 % (at 250 μM of GSH and n = 6). The procedure was successfully applied to the determination of GSH in wine and in synthetic plasma using the standard addition method. The recoveries are 100.8 % and 100.0 %, respectively.