A nitric oxide biosensor based on horseradish peroxidase/kieselguhr co-modified pyrolytic graphite electrode

A reagentless nitric oxide (NO) biosensor was prepared using a pyrolytic graphite (PG) electrode modified with a composite film containing horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and kieselguhr. Noticeably, the electron-transfer reactivity of HRP was significantly enhanced when incorporated in the inorganic kieselguhr material. Consequently, we observed the direct electrochemical response of HRP in this composite film, which would be otherwise electrochemically silent (in the absence of kieselguhr). Importantly, this modified electrode demonstrated nice catalytic activity, as well as high stability, towards the reduction of NO. The peak current related to NO was linearly proportional to its concentration from 2.0 x 10(-7) to 2.0 x 10(-5) mol/L, and the relative standard deviation was 4 % for five successive determinations at a NO concentration of 1.0 x 10(-5) mol/L. The critical level in concentration was estimated to be (4.0 +/- 0.3) x 10(-8) mol/L.