DNA sensor for o-dianisidine

o-Dianisidine (3,3'-dimethoxybenzidine) is applied in the production of some dyes and also used in analytical tests. However, this compound is anticipated to be a human carcinogen. An analytical strategy utilizing square wave voltammetry for the determination of o-dianisidine is presented. An electrochemical system was consisted of three electrodes: carbon paste working electrode, platinum wire counter electrode and silver-silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) reference electrode. However, square wave voltammograms of direct measurements of o-dianisidine were found to be hardly reproducible, exhibiting few peaks due to some labile short-lived intermediates with the only exception of a quite stable peak at +0.7 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Quantitative determination of o-dianisidine gave satisfactory results only when the carbon paste working electrode was replaced by deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) electrode obtained by immobilization of double-stranded (ds) DNA on carbon electrode. Square wave voltammogram of DNA showed two peaks attributed to adenine and guanine and the latter was used as analytical signal. After interaction with o-dianisidine, guanine oxidation peak was reduced to the extent related to the concentration of the analyte. Initial reduction of guanine peak took place already at the concentration of o-dianisidine equal to 0.4 microM; high concentrations (above 100 microM) of the analyte quenched completely a guanine response. The presented electrochemical system enables a specific detection of o-dianisidine by the presence of an oxidation peak at +0.7 V and its quantitative determination by measuring a reduction of guanine peak by means of a DNA sensor.