Nanoporous aluminum oxide as a novel support material for enzyme biosensors

To construct novel amperometric sensors for the detection of hydrogen peroxide and pyruvate, peroxidase and pyruvate oxidase were immobilized in self-supporting nanoporous alumina membranes those made by anodic oxidation. Pyruvate oxidase and other enzymes were enclosed in poly(carbamoylsulfonate) hydrogel and sucked into the nanoporous alumina structure before polymerization. The alumina membranes were investigated by scanning electron microscopy before and after the enzyme immobilization. In an amperometric flow detector cell, pyruvate and hydrogen peroxide were detected under flow injection analysis conditions in concentration ranges from 1 microM to 100 microM and 5 microM to 500 microM, respectively. The achieved operational stability showed that alumina membranes can be used to construct enzyme-modified electrodes.