A glassy carbon electrode modified with a platinum nanoparticle/cage-like PbS nanostructure for direct electron transfer to enzymes and for use in biosensing

Abstract

A cage-like PbS nanostructure was functionalized with platinum nanoparticles, and the resulting material (PtNP@PbS) was deposited on a glassy carbon electrode in order to study the direct electron transfer to FADH2 in glucose oxidase (GOx) and further to construct a glucose biosensor. The PtNP@PbS nanostructure and the biosensor were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and by cyclic voltammetry. Compared to the use of cage-like PbS alone, the PtNP@PbS nanostructure shows much higher electrochemical activity and an enhanced direct electron transfer rate. The GOx loaded onto the nanostructure displays good enzymatic activity and an apparent electron transfer rate constant of 3.0 s−1. The glucose biosensor is operated best at −0.4 V (vs. SCE) and then exhibits a linear range that extends from 4 μM to 1.1 mM, with a detection limit as low as 1 μM (at an S/N ratio of 3). The biosensor is selective, acceptably repeatable and stable. It was applied to the determination of glucose in human serum samples.