Amperometric biosensor based on thermally activated polymer-stabilized metal nanoparticles

Polymer-stabilized Pd nanoparticles on carbon support were synthesized by a low thermal procedure that does not involve the utilization of a reducing agent such as NaBH4 or hydrogen gas for the formation of the metallic nanoparticles. The Pd-catalyzed graphite particles were then mixed with known amounts of glucose oxidase (GOx) enzyme and Nafion to prepare a GOx-immobilized ink. A glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with the GOx ink was used to evaluate the performance of the biosensor electrode. The results of TEM and AFM show that the Pd nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on top of the substrate. Results are presented for sensing glucose through the voltammetric measurement of H2O2. Coupled with the simplicity of preparation, the biosensor exhibited high sensitivity and extended linear range for glucose measurement. Further, the electrochemical characteristics of the nanocomposite biosensor were evaluated with respect to the electrochemistry of potassium ferricyanide by cyclic voltammetry. Whereas the presence of polymer and Nafion improved the stability of both the ink and biosensor electrode, the concentration of glucose was measured without interferences from oxygen, ascorbic acid and uric acid because of the Nafion.