Competitive amperometric immunosensor based on covalent linking of a protein conjugate to dendrimer-functionalised nanogold substrate for the determination of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene

Anal Bioanal Chem. 2013 Jan;405(2-3):737-43. doi: 10.1007/s00216-012-6137-x. Epub 2012 Jun 9.

Abstract

A new amperometric immunosensor for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene based on the working principle of competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed and characterised. An electrodeposited nanogold substrate was functionalised by deposition of self-assembled monolayers of 2-aminoethanethiol as linkers for the subsequent immobilisation of polyamidoaminic dendrimers. Our approach makes use of those dendrimers to anchor a trinitrobenzene-ovalbumin conjugate on the electrode surface. The immunosensor was tested and validated for the determination of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene showing high selectivity with respect to other nitroaromatic compounds, a limit of detection of 4.8 ng/mL and a limit of quantitation of 6 ng/mL. The immunosensor was tested for the quantification of the analyte in spiked soils and in a real sample of post-blast soil, evidencing a good recovery rate (113 %).

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biosensing Techniques / instrumentation
  • Biosensing Techniques / methods*
  • Dendrimers / chemistry
  • Gold / chemistry
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Ovalbumin / chemistry*
  • Soil Pollutants / analysis*
  • Trinitrotoluene / analysis*

Substances

  • Dendrimers
  • Soil Pollutants
  • Trinitrotoluene
  • Gold
  • Ovalbumin