Toward the development of a specific non-enzymatic amperometric sensor for determining uric acid in fermentation...

The development is proposed of a specific non-enzymatic amperometric sensor based on electrodeposited copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) for the determination of uric acid (UA) in fermentation samples. Through optimization of the Cu-NPs-containing sensing layer, it was demonstrated that copper(II)-induced oxidation (catalytic effect) in the presence of molecular oxygen is more effective for determining UA than the adsorption of UA on Cu and Cu-oxide surfaces. More importantly, simply changing the sensing layer's surface chemistry by increasing the defect Cu_xO_y on the surface of Cu-NPs after heating at 70 °C for only 20 min significantly improved the specificity of UA determination in both model and real fermentation samples (viz. supernatants of S. cerevisiae and E. coli). This study can be used as a guideline for the future assembly of functional electrodeposited sensing layers for the specific determination of target electroactive bioanalyte(s).