Direct electrochemistry of Penicillium chrysogenum catalase adsorbed on spectroscopic graphite

The voltammetric studies of Penicillium chrysogenum catalase (PcCAT) adsorbed on spectroscopic graphite, showed direct electron transfer (DET) between its active site and the electrode surface. Analogous tests performed with the commercially available bovine catalase revealed that mammalian enzyme is much less efficient in the DET process. Both catalases were found capable to catalyse the electrooxidation of phenol, but differed in the specifics of catalytic action. At an applied potential of 0.45V the non-linear regression showed the kinetics of the bioelectrochemical oxidation catalysed by the PcCAT obeyed the Hill equation with a binding constant K=0.034±0.002 M(2) (Hill's coefficient n=2.097±0.083, R(2)=0.997), whilst the catalytic action of the bovine catalase was described by the Michaelis-Menten kinetic model with the following parameters: V(max,app)=7.780±0.509 μA, and K(M,app)=0.068±0.070 mol L(-1). The performance of the electrode reaction was affected by the electrode potential, the pH, and temperature. Based on the effect of pH and temperature on the electrode response in presence of phenol a tentative reaction pathway of its bioelectrocatalytic oxidation has been hypothesised. The possible application of these findings in biosensing phenol up to concentration 30 mM at pHs below 7 and in absence of oxidising agents (oxygen or H(2)O(2)) was considered.