Layer-by-layer fabrication and direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase on single wall carbon nanotubes

Layer-by-layer assembly of glucose oxidase (GOx) with single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is achieved on the electrode surface based on the electrostatic attraction between positively charged GOx in pH 3.8 buffer and negatively charged carboxylic groups of CNTs. The cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy are used to characterize the formation of multilayer films. In deaerated buffer solutions, the cyclic voltammetry of the multilayer films of {GOx/CNT}n shows two pairs of well-behaved redox peaks that are assigned to the redox reactions of CNTs and GOx, respectively, confirming the effective immobilization of GOx on CNTs using the layer-by-layer technique. The redox peak currents of GOx increase linearly with the increased number of layers indicating the uniform growth of GOx in multilayer films. The dependence of the cyclic voltammetric response of GOx in multilayer films on the scan rate and pH is also studied. A linear decrease of the reduction current of oxygen at the {GOx/CNT}-modified electrodes with the addition of glucose suggests that such multilayer films of GOx retain the bioactivity and can be used as reagentless glucose biosensors.