Abstract
Amino acids and peptides are known to bind metal ions, in some cases very strongly. There are only a few examples of exploiting this binding in sensors. The review covers the current literature on the interaction of peptides and metals and the electrochemistry of bound metal ions. Peptides may be covalently attached to surfaces. Of particular interest is the attachment to gold via sulfur linkages. Sulfur-containing peptides (eg cysteine) may be adsorbed directly, while any amino group can be covalently attached to a carboxylic acid-terminated thiol. Once at a surface, the possibility for using the attached peptide as a sensor for metal ions becomes realised. Results from the authors’ laboratory and elsewhere have shown the potential for selective monitoring of metal ions at ppt levels. Examples of the use of poly-aspartic acid and the copper binding peptide Gly-Gly-His for detecting copper ions are given.
Highlights
The development of practical sensors for the detection and quantification of metal ions in environmental samples is the subject of considerable research
With the advent of biosensors exploiting Nature’s methods of selective recognition, it is surprising how little research has been conducted into the development of solid state metal ion sensors based on peptide ligands
This lack of research is even more surprising considering the significant amount of literature on complexing metals using amino acids, oligopeptides and peptides
Summary
The development of practical sensors for the detection and quantification of metal ions in environmental samples is the subject of considerable research. The majority of this research involves the synthesis and testing of macrocyclic ligands with selectivity for a target metal ion. With the advent of biosensors exploiting Nature’s methods of selective recognition, it is surprising how little research has been conducted into the development of solid state metal ion sensors based on peptide ligands. This lack of research is even more surprising considering the significant amount of literature on complexing metals using amino acids, oligopeptides and peptides. The application of peptides and amino acids for solution based detection of metals will be addressed, followed by early examples of using oligopeptides and amino acids for solid state devices and future prospects will be discussed
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