Biosensors based on gold nanoelectrode ensembles and screen printed electrodes

Abstract

Gold nanowires were synthesized within polycarbonate membranes according to an electroless deposition method, obtaining nanoelectrode ensembles (NEEs) with special electrochemical features. NEEs were coupled with home-produced carbon graphite screen printed electrodes and the electrochemical properties of the original nanoelectrode ensemble on screen printed substrate (NEE/SPS) assembly has been tested for sensors application. Glucose oxidase has been used as model enzyme in order to verify the feasibility of disposable gold NEE/SPS biosensors. Finally, different immobilisation and electrochemical deposition techniques based on either self assembled monolayers of cysteamine (CYS) or amino-propyl-triethoxysilane (APTES) and conductive polyaniline (PANI) molecular wires were used. Spatial patterning of the enzyme on the polycarbonate surface and of PANI wires on gold nanoelectrodes was obtained. Possible direct electron transfer between the enzyme and the PANI modified gold nanoelectrodes has been evaluated.

Keywords:

• Gold nanoelectrode ensemble
• Glucose biosensor
• Self assembled monolayers
• Screen printed substrate

Acknowledgements

These experiments have been supported by FIRB, the Italian Fund for Fundamental Research and by CoSMiC, the ENEA target Project on Biosensors and Bioelectronics – www.biosensing.net.