Tailoring of analytical performances of urea biosensors using nanomaterials

Abstract

This paper is a contribution to the study of enzymatic sensors based on nanoparticles of iron oxide (FeNPs). Urease enzyme was immobilized on FeNPs using layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition method. FeNPs were first coated with polyelectrolytes (PE): Poly (allylamine hydrochloride), PAH and Poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate), PSS for enzyme immobilization and then with enzyme. It has been confirmed through zeta potential measurements of FeNPs that the enzyme is immobilized on the surface. We evaluated the sensitivity of biosensors for urea by potentiometric and capacitive measurements on silicon / silica / FeNP-LBL-urease structures. The recorded capacity-potential curves (C-V) show a significant shift of flat band potential towards negative potentials in the presence of urea, the observed values of sensitivity vary between 30 and 40 mV/p[urea]. It has been shown that the proposed method for the immobilization of urease can increase the dynamic range of urea detection (10−4M to 10−1M) compared to the immobilization of urease without FeNP (10−3.5 M to 10−2.5 M). When the number of PAH-PSS layers was increased the sensitivity of detection was modified. This effect is due to partial inhibition of the enzyme in presence of FeNPs, which was shown by measurements in homogeneous phase.