Highly Selective Electrochemical Determination of Taxol Based on ds-DNA-Modified Pencil Electrode

In this research, TiO2/ZrO2 nanocomposite has been prepared using sol-gel method. The TiO2/ZrO2 composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A sensitive electrochemical biosensor is also presented for the determination of Taxol based on ds-DNA decorated multiwall carbon nanotubes-TiO2/ZrO2-chitosan-modified pencil electrode (ds-DNA-MWNTs-TiO2/ZrO2-CHIT-PGE). The UV spectroscopic data and differential pulse voltammetry revealed that there is a strong interaction between ds-DNA and Taxol. The groove binding of Taxol to ds-DNA helix has been characterized by a red shift (less than 8 nm) in wavelength and the decrease in the differential pulse voltammetry oxidation signal intensity of the Taxol at pencil graphite electrode (PGE) after its interaction with ds-DNA. Finally, a pretreated PGE modified with ds-DNA-MWNTs-TiO2/ZrO2-CHIT was tested in order to determine Taxol content in the solution. The dynamic range was from 0.7 to 1874.0 nmol L(-1) with a detection limit of 0.01 nmol L(-1). This sensing platform was successfully applied for the determination of Taxol in pharmaceutical and biological samples.