Label-free and sequence-specific DNA detection down to a picomolar level with carbon nanotubes as support for probe DNA

This study describes a simple and label-free electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) method for sequence-specific detection of DNA by using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) as the support for probe DNA. SWNTs are confined onto gold electrodes with mixed self-assembly monolayers of thioethanol and cysteamine. Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe is anchored onto the SWNT support through covalent binding between carboxyl groups at the nanotubes and amino groups at 5′ ends of ssDNA. Hybridization of target DNA with the anchored probe DNA greatly increases the interfacial electron-transfer resistance (R_et) at the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA)-modified electrodes for the redox couple of Fe(CN)₆^3−/4−, which could be used for label-free and sequence-specific DNA detection. EIS results demonstrate that the utilization of SWNTs as the support for probe DNA substantially increases the surface loading of probe DNA onto electrode surface and thus remarkably lowers the detection limit for target DNA. Under the conditions employed here, R_et is linear with the concentration of target DNA within a concentration range from 1 to 10 pM with a detection limit down to 0.8 pM (S/N = 3). This study may offer a novel and label-free electrochemical approach to sensitive sequence-specific DNA detection.     

Highly sensitive electrochemical impedance spectroscopic detection of DNA hybridization based on Aunano-CNT/PANnano films

A polyaniline nanofibers (PAN_nano)/carbon paste electrode (CPE) was prepared via dopping PAN_nano in the carbon paste. The nanogold (Au_nano) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) composite nanoparticles were bound on the surface of the PAN_nano/CPE. The immobilization and hybridization of the DNA probe on the Au_nano-CNT/PAN_nano films were investigated with differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) using methylene blue (MB) as indicator, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) using [Fe(CN)₆]^3−/4− as redox probe. The voltammetric peak currents of MB increased dramatically owing to the immobilization of the probe DNA on the Au_nano-CNT/PAN_nano films, and then decreased obviously owing to the hybridization of the DNA probe with the complementary single-stranded DNA (cDNA). The electron transfer resistance (R_et) of the electrode surface increased after the immobilization of the probe DNA on the Au_nano-CNT/PAN_nano films and rose further after the hybridization of the probe DNA. The remarkable difference between the R_et value at the DNA-immobilized electrode and that at the hybridized electrode could be used for the label-free EIS detection of the target DNA. The loading of the DNA probe on Au_nano-CNT/PAN_nano films was greatly enhanced and the sensitivity for the target DNA detection was markedly improved. The sequence-specific DNA of phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) gene and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of nopaline synthase (NOS) gene from transgenically modified beans were determined with this label-free EIS DNA detection method. The dynamic range for detecting the PAT gene sequence was from 1.0 × 10⁻¹² mol/L to 1.0 × 10⁻⁶ mol/L with a detection limit of 5.6 × 10⁻¹³ mol/L.     

Signal amplification for DNA detection based on the HRP-functionalized Fe3O4 nanoparticles

An electrochemical approach for the sensitive detection of sequence-specific DNA has been developed. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) assembled on the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) were utilized as signal amplification sources. High-content HRP was adsorbed on the Fe₃O₄ NPs via layer-by-layer (LbL) technique to prepare HRP-functionalized Fe₃O₄ NPs. Signal probe and diluting probe were then immobilized on the HRP-functionalized Fe₃O₄ NPs through the bridge of Au NPs. Thereafter, the resulting DNA-Au-HRP-Fe₃O₄ (DAHF) bioconjugates were successfully anchored to the gold nanofilm (GNF) modified electrode surface for the construction of sandwich-type electrochemical DNA biosensor. The electrochemical behaviors of the prepared biosensor had been investigated by the cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (i-t), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Under optimal conditions, the proposed strategy could detect the target DNA down to the level of 0.7 fmol with a dynamic range spanning 4 orders of magnitude and exhibited excellent discrimination to two-base mismatched DNA and non-complementary DNA sequences.     

Aptamer-based biosensor for label-free detection of ethanolamine by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

A label-free sensing assay for ethanolamine (EA) detection based on G-quadruplex-EA binding interaction is presented by using G-rich aptamer DNA (Ap-DNA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The presence of K⁺ induces the Ap-DNA to form a K⁺-stabilized G-quadruplex structure which provides binding sites for EA. The sensing mechanism was further confirmed by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and EIS measurement. As a result, the charge transfer resistance (R_CT) is strongly increased as demonstrated by using the ferro/ferricyanide ([Fe(CN)₆]^3−/4−) as a redox probe. Under the optimized conditions, a linear relationship between ΔR_CT and EA concentration was obtained over the range of 0.16 nM and 16 nM EA, with a detection limit of 0.08 nM. Interference by other selected chemicals with similar structure was negligible. Analytical results of EA spiked into tap water and serum by the sensor suggested the assay could be successfully applied to real sample analysis. With the advantages of high sensitivity, selectivity and simple sensor construction, this method is potentially suitable for the on-site monitoring of EA contamination.     

Application of Impedimetric and Voltammetric Genosensor for Detection of a Biological Warfare: Anthrax

A strategy for the detection of anthrax, which is a potential biological weapon by using an electrochemical genosensing technology, is investigated. An alkanathiol‐linked or unlabeled capture probe related to B. anthracis is immobilized onto gold or graphite electrode surface. A 101‐mer anthrax target is used for hybridization. The extent of hybridization between probe and target sequences is determined by using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectrometry (EIS). EIS analysis are based on electron transfer resistance (R_ct) in the presence of [Fe(CN)₆]^3?/4? and DPV measurements are based on transduction of both guanine oxidation and Meldola's blue (MDB) reduction signal as hybridization indicator. The response of the probe‐modified electrodes which was interacted with a noncomplementary sequence was the same as the responses of probe‐modified surface and proved the specifity of the hybridization with the target. According to these results the developed genosensors based on EIS and DPV techniques can be employed for rapid and selective detection of B. anthracis.     

Physical adsorption of protamine for heparin assay using a quartz crystal microbalance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

This study attempted to determine absolute heparin concentration in phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH 7.4) by using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) as an affinity biosensor. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was also used to investigate immobilization of protamine and heparin assay. In addition, the effectiveness of physical adsorption in immobilizing protamine was confirmed by examining the preparation conditions, including the incubation time and protamine concentration. It induced maximum decrease (ca. −100 Hz) in oscillating frequency of QCM by applying 20 mg/ml protamine and 20 min for incubation in PBS. Heparin adsorption onto protamine-modified electrode in PBS revealed an exponential-like binding curve and long duration for reaching the steady state in frequency response of QCM. Moreover, two linear calibration curves were obtained judging from the initial slope (df/dt) and the frequency change (Δf) of QCM obtained after a binding interval (600 s) for heparin concentrations from 0 to 3.0 and 7.0 U/ml, respectively. In EIS analysis, calibration curves with linear concentration range of 0-3.0 U/ml were obtained for heparin in PBS when ferrocyanide was used as an electroactive marker.     

Kinetic study of DNA/DNA hybridization with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

The hybridization of immobilized oligonucleotides probe strands with solution phase targets is the underlying principle of microarray-based techniques for the analysis of DNA variation. To study the kinetics of DNA/DNA hybridization, target DNA is often prior labeled with markers. A label-free method of electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) for study the hybridization in process was reported. The Langmuir model was used to determine the association rate constant (K_on), the dissociation rate constant (K_off) and the affinity rate constant (K_A), for perfect matched DNA hybridization. The results show that, EIS is a successful technique possessing high effectivity and sensitivity to study DNA/DNA hybridization kinetics. This work can provide another view on EIS for the studying of DNA/DNA hybridization.     

Stereoselective Interaction between DNA and Stable Chiral Surfaces Modified with 1,2‐Diphenylethylenediamine Enantiomers

This work described an interesting phenomenon of the stereoselective adsorption behaviors of DNA on stable chiral surfaces which were modified with 1,2‐diphenylethylenediamine enantiomers on gold electrodes. The modification process and electrochemical characterization of the chiral surfaces were measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The stereoselective adsorption behaviors of DNA on the two chiral surfaces were investigated via atomic force microscopy (AFM), CV, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). All results confirmed that (1R,2R)‐1,2‐diphenylethylenediamine modified surface had stronger interaction with DNA molecules than (1S,2S)‐1,2‐diphenylethylenediamine modified surface, and the chirality of the surfaces created an different effect on the morphology and adsorption quantity of DNA.     

Study of the electrochemical behaviour of a carbon steel electrode in sodium sulfate aqueous solutions using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

The study of a plain carbon steel (AISI 1020) in Na₂SO₄ aqueous solutions at different concentrations was carried out by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in order to determine the corrosion mechanism and to obtain representative corrosion rates of the system. EIS was used to measure corrosion current densities at high concentrations in the range 0.1–1 wt% Na₂SO₄, but in the low concentration range, from 0.001 to 0.01 wt%, a scattered Nyquist plot was obtained. Other electrochemical techniques, such as polarization resistance (PR), Tafel plots and electrochemical noise (EN), were also used in this analysis. The charge transfer resistance was determined and compared with the PR and noise resistance. Electronic Publication     

Indicator-free electrochemical genosensing originated from the self-signal of poly-xanthurenic acid enhanced by Fe3O4/reduced graphene oxide

In this paper, an indicator-free electrochemical genosensing platform based on the self-signal changes of poly-xanthurenic acid (PXa) enhanced by Fe₃O₄/reduced graphene oxide (Fe₃O₄/RGO) was constructed. The resulting nanocomposite (PXa-Fe₃O₄/RGO) was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The π–π* stacking and hydrogen bonding between the conjugated Fe₃O₄/GO and aromatic ring of xanthurenic acid monomer promoted the electropolymerization efficiency accompanied with an increased electrochemical response of PXa. The immobilization of the specific probe DNA was successfully realized via the noncovalent method due to the π–π* interaction between the conjugated nanostructure of PXa-Fe₃O₄/RGO and DNA bases. The hybridization between the probe DNA and target DNA induced the resulted double-stranded (ds)DNA to be released from the conjugated nanocomposite, accompanied with the self-signal regeneration of nanocomposite (“signal-on”). The self-signal changes could serve as a powerful tool for indicator-free and freely switchable detection of different target genes, and the synergistic effect of the integrated graphene-based nanocomposite effectively improved the sensitivity for the target DNA detection via EIS.     

Enzyme-catalyzed amplified immunoassay for the detection of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Toxoplasma gondii</Emphasis>-specific IgG using Faradaic impedance spectroscopy,CV and QCM

A highly sensitive electrochemical immunoassay for Toxoplasma gondii-specific IgG (Tg-IgG) in human serum has been developed that is based on an enzyme-catalyzed amplification due to the formation of an insoluble precipitate on the surface of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). T. gondii antigen (TgAg) was immobilized on the surface of a gold electrode in order to bind Tg-IgG, and this was followed by the addition of anti-Tg-IgG horseradish peroxidase conjugate (anti-Tg-IgG-HRP). Subsequent exposure to 3,3-diaminobenzidine (DAB) led to the enzymatically-catalyzed amplified deposition of the oxidation products on the QCM surface in the presence of H₂O₂. The transduction methods electrochemical Faradaic impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were used to assay the resistance to electron transfer at the conductive support upon accumulation of the insoluble products. The precipitation process was monitored in real time by QCM. The assay conditions, including the concentration of immobilized TgAg and the dosage of anti-Tg-IgG-HRP conjugate, were optimized. It was found that the amount of precipitate that accumulated on the conductive QCM surface was determined by the concentration of the target analyte Tg-IgG and the time permitted for biocatalyzed precipitation. The technique was shown to give a linear electron transfer resistance response (as measured by EIS) for Tg-IgG dilutions ranging between 1:8000 and 1:200, and a detection limit of 1:9600 dilution.     

Investigation of Active and Inactivated Yeast Cells by Scanning Electrochemical Impedance Microscopy

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning electrochemical impedance microscopy (SEIM) were used to investigate electrochemical activity of active and inactivated yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. SEIM experiment was performed using a unique electrochemical impedance spectrometer with a fast Fourier transform (FFT‐EIS) function, which enabled simultaneously perturb/evaluate electrochemical system at 50 frequencies. This allowed very quick observing the differences between impedance spectra, which were taken every few seconds. Therefore, we were able to apply SEIM for relatively fast determination of electrochemical impedance dependence on the distance between ultramicroelectrode (UME) and surface modified by immobilized yeast cells. It was determined that electrochemical activity and ‘breathing’ (a consumption of dissolved oxygen) of yeast can be electrochemically observed when the distance between UME and surface of yeast cells is in the range from 0 μm to 25 μm. Therefore, 25 μm is the maximum distance suitable for efficient investigation of yeast cell activity when experiments are performed in FFT‐SEIM mode. Charge transfer resistance of active and inactivated yeast cells was determined using EIS. It was calculated that charge transfer resistance of active yeast cells is 1.5 times lower than that of inactivated yeast cells. Lipophilic vitamin K₃ (Vit‐K₃) and hydrophilic vitamin K₁ (Vit‐K₁) were mixtured and used as redox mediators for charge transfer from yeast cells.     

A small angle neutron scattering and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy study of the nanostructure of the iron chalcogenide glass ion-selective electrode

This paper presents a preliminary structural and interfacial study of the iron chalcogenide glass [i.e., Fe_x(Ge₂₈Sb₁₂Se₆₀)_100−x] ion-selective electrode (ISE) using small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). SANS detected variations in the neutron scattering as a function of iron content in the chalcogenide glass. Furthermore, a change in the chalcogenide glass structure was observed at elevated iron dopant levels. Conversely, EIS was used to show that the iron chalcogenide membrane comprises various time constants, and the interfacial charge transfer reaction depends on the membrane iron content. Equivalent circuit modeling revealed that the charge transfer resistance decreases at elevated iron levels, and this may be related to the presence of iron defects in the glass. It is proposed that the iron chalcogenide membrane comprises an iron nanostructural network embedded in the amorphous matrix, and this directly influences the electrical conductivity and concomitant electrochemical reactivity of the glass.     

Impedance spectroscopic study of corrosion inhibition of Al-Pure by organic Schiff base in hydrochloric acid

A new corrosion inhibitor namely o-Chloroaniline-N-benzylidene (o-CANB) has been synthesized and its inhibitive performance toward the corrosion of Al-Pure in 1.0 M hydrochloric acid has been investigated. Corrosion inhibition was studied by chemical method (weight loss) and electrochemical techniques including polarization method and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The present study has shown that this inhibitor is good in acidic media and the inhibition efficiency up to >99% in 1.0 M HCl. Polarization measurement revealed that the investigated inhibitor is a mixed type with a predominant action on cathode. Impedance measurement showed that the charge transfer resistance (R_ct) increased and double layer capacitance (C_dl) decreased with an increase in the inhibitor's concentration. Obtained results about inhibition efficiency from weight loss, polarization study and EIS are in good agreement with each other. The adsorption of the inhibitor on the metal surface in the acid solution was found to obey Langmuir's adsorption isotherm.     

Impedimetric DNA‐Based Biosensor for Silver Ions Detection with Hemin/G‐Quadruplex Nanowire as Enhancer

A DNA‐based biosensor was reported for detection of silver ions (Ag⁺) by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with [Fe(CN)₆]^4?/3? as redox probe and hybridization chain reaction (HCR) induced hemin/G‐quadruplex nanowire as enhanced label. In the present of target Ag⁺, Ag⁺ interacted with cytosine‐cytosine (C? C) mismatch to form the stable C? Ag⁺? C complex with the aim of immobilizing the primer DNA on electrode, which thus triggered the HCR to form inert hemin/G‐quadruplex nanowire with an amplified EIS signal. As a result, the DNA biosensor showed a high sensitivity with the concentration range spanning from 0.1 nM to 100 µM and a detection limit of 0.05 nM.     

Determination of Impedance Spectroscopic Behavior of Triphenylphosphine on Various Electrodes

The electrochemical oxidation of triphenylphosphine (Ph₃P) was investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) on glassy-carbon (GC), gold (Au) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in acetonitrile (ACN), dichloromethane (DCM), and cyclohexanone (CHN). The electron-transfer kinetics of the redox couple PPh₃/Ph₃P^·+ on various electrodes was found to increase with the order: Au < MWCNT < GC. The EIS results verify that GC provides faster charge-transfer kinetics since it affords less charge-transfer resistance and thus lower electron-transfer barrier from other electrodes tested. In DCM and CHN greater deviation from reversibility was observed which can be attributed to the poorer polarity of the solvents, which provides an additional barrier for the electron-transfer process.

[Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Analytical Letters for the following free supplemental resource(s): additional tables and figures.]     

Nucleic acid biosensor for detection of hepatitis B virus using 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline copper complex as electrochemical indicator

In this study, an electrochemical DNA biosensor was developed based on the recognition of target DNA by hybridization detection. The study was carried out using glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with lable-free 21-mer single-stranded oligonucleotides related to hepatitis B virus sequence via covalent immobilization and [Cu(dmp)(H₂O)Cl₂] (dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) as an electrochemical indicator, whose sizes are comparable to those of the small groove of native double-duplex DNA. The method, which is simple and low cost, allows the accumulation of copper complex within the DNA layer. Electochemical detection was performed by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry over the potential range where the [Cu(dmp)(H₂O)Cl₂] was active. Numerous factors affecting the probe immobilization, target hybridization, and indicator binding reactions were optimized to maximize the sensitivity and speed the assay time. With this approach, a sequence of the hepatitis B virus could be quantified over the ranges from 8.82 × 10⁻⁸ to 8.82 × 10⁻⁷ M with a linear correlation of r = 0.9937 and a detection limit of 7.0 × 10⁻⁸ M. The [Cu(dmp)(H₂O)Cl₂] signal observed from probe sequence before and after hybridization with four bases mismatch containing sequence is lower than that observed after hybridization with complementary sequence.     

Rosa Damascena mediated ZnO-Red Ochre nanocomposite for the electrochemical determination of 5-Fluorouracil

In this study, ZnO-Red Ochre nanocomposite was green synthesized by Rosa Damascena (RD) extract (RDZRONCs). Proton Induced X-ray Emission microanalysis (Micro-PIXE) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern confirmed the presence of hematite (Fe₂O₃), and quartz (SiO₂) mineral phases in the Red Ochre (RO) nanoclay. In addition, the XRD pattern shows the ZnO, ZnFe₂O₄, SiO₂, Fe₂O₃, and Si phases in the RDZRONCs that were green synthesized with natural RD extract and RO. The RDZRONCs were used to modify the carbon paste electrode (CPE) for the electrochemical determination of the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques were employed to investigate the surface behavior of modified CPE (RDZRONCs/CPE). The electrochemical behavior of 5-FU at the RDZRONCs/CPE was exanimated by CV, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), chronoamperometry (CA), and chronocoulometry (CC). Based on the DPV technique, a linear relationship between peak current and concentration of 5-FU was obtained in the dynamic range of 0.05–140.0 μM and with a detection limit equal to 0.0016 μM. The selectivity of RDZRONCs/CPE for 5-FU was studied in the presence of different inorganic and organic species. Also, the content of 5-FU was measured in real samples by RDZRONCs/CPE.     

Investigating Electrochemical Stability and Reliability of Gold Electrode‐electrolyte Systems to Develop Bioelectronic Nose Using Insect Olfactory Receptor

This article aims to demonstrate an electrochemically stable and reliable gold electrode‐electrolyte system to develop an insect odorant receptor (Drosophila melanogaster Or35a) based bioelectronic nose. Cyclic voltammograms (CVs) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of bare gold electrodes, after modification with the self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) of 6‐mercaptohexanoic acid (MHA) and after immobilization with Or35a integrated into the lipid bilayers of liposomes were conducted in the presence of four different redox probes. Potassium ferri/ferrocyanide [Fe(CN)₆]^3?/[Fe (CN)₆]^4? and hydroquinone (H₂Q) redox probes revealed variable and irreversible signals at the time scale of our measurements, with atomic force microscopy (AFM) images and x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results suggesting gold surface etching due to the presence of CN^? ions in case of [Fe(CN)₆]^3?/[Fe (CN)₆]^4?. Although the hexaammineruthenium complex showed stable electrochemical behaviour at all stages of biosensor development, changes in CV and EIS readings after each surface modifications were insignificant. PBS buffer as a non‐Faradaic medium, was found to provide reliable systems for electrochemical probing of modified gold electrodes with Or35a/liposomes in aqueous media. Using this system, we have shown that this novel biosensor can detect its known odorant E2‐hexenal selectively compared to methyl salicylate down to femtomolar concentration.     

Gravimetric,electrochemical, and morphological studies of an isoxazole derivative as corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in 1M HCl

In present study, an isoxazole derivative, namely, (Z)-4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)-3-methylisoxazol-5(4H)-one referred here as (IOD) has been studied as an environment-friendly corrosion inhibitor for mild steel (MS) in acidic medium (1 M HCl). The present work was investigated by gravimetric, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy techniques. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the surface morphologies of the MS surface with and without IOD in the acid medium. The inhibition efficiency (I.E.) of IOD was increased by rising its concentration attaining maximum value (96.6%) at 300 ppm at 30 °C and decreases with increasing temperature from 30 °C to 60 °C. The adsorption of studied inhibitor followed Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The PDP study revealed that the IOD acts as a mixed-type inhibitor with predominating anodic effect. The EIS study confirmed that increasing IOD concentration enhances the charge transfer resistance (R_ct) and then reduces the double layer capacitance (C_dl) owing to the development of a protective layer on the MS surface.