Novel microfluidic graphene oxide-protein amperometric biosensor for detecting sulfur compounds

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Sulfur compounds are vital but pose respiratory health risks, necessitating accurate detection methods.
• Advancements in contaminant detection favor smaller, faster, and more effective diagnostic systems.
• Portable biosensors offer potential for on-site and real-time analysis of environmental and biological samples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and investigate a novel portable amperometric graphene oxide-protein biosensor.
• To integrate a microfluidic configuration for enhanced performance in sulfur compound detection.
• To assess the biosensor's sensitivity, response time, and accuracy for sulfide determination.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of graphene oxide using transmission electron microscopy and FTIR.
• Stabilization of albumin protein onto graphene oxide via EDC/NHS chemistry, confirmed by FTIR and electrochemistry.
• Integration of a microfluidic system with a graphene oxide-protein complex stabilized by Nafion for sulfide sensing.

Main Results:

• The graphene oxide-protein complex was successfully synthesized and stabilized.
• The microfluidic system integration reduced response time to 50 seconds, demonstrating its effectiveness.
• The optimized biosensor (pH 7.4) showed high sensitivity and accuracy in detecting sulfide concentrations.

Conclusions:

• The developed portable graphene oxide-protein biosensor offers a fast and accurate method for sulfide detection.
• The microfluidic configuration is crucial for achieving rapid response times in the nanosystem.
• This technology holds promise for improved monitoring of sulfur compounds in various applications.