A novel electrochemical sensor based on ion imprinted polymer and gold nanomaterials for nitrite ion analysis in exhaled breath condensate

Alassane Diouf; Nezha El Bari; Benachir Bouchikhi

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2019.120577

A novel electrochemical sensor based on ion imprinted polymer and gold nanomaterials for nitrite ion analysis in exhaled breath condensate

Talanta. 2020 Mar 1:209:120577. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2019.120577. Epub 2019 Nov 21.

Authors

Alassane Diouf¹, Nezha El Bari², Benachir Bouchikhi³

Affiliations

¹ Sensor Electronic & Instrumentation Group, Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismaïl University of Meknes, B.P. 11201, Zitoune, Meknes, Morocco; Biotechnology Agroalimentary and Biomedical Analysis Group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismaïl University of Meknes, B.P. 11201, Zitoune, 50003, Meknes, Morocco.
² Biotechnology Agroalimentary and Biomedical Analysis Group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismaïl University of Meknes, B.P. 11201, Zitoune, 50003, Meknes, Morocco.
³ Sensor Electronic & Instrumentation Group, Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismaïl University of Meknes, B.P. 11201, Zitoune, Meknes, Morocco. Electronic address: benachir.bouchikhi@gmail.com.

PMID: 31892035
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2019.120577

Abstract

Human Exhaled Breath Condensate (EBC) contains markers of several inflammatory diseases. Its analysis is of interest to a number of researchers. Nitrite ions (NO₂-), which are widely used in our daily lives, are nevertheless among these indicators. In this study, a simple, fast, portable, non-invasive and cheap electrochemical sensor is developed for the analysis of the nitrite profile in EBC. In this regard, sodium nitrite (NaNO₂) was first immobilized on self-assembled 2-aminothiophenol (2-ATP) on a screen-printed gold electrode (Au-SPE). Then, a polymer matrix composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (GA) was combined with gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) to cover the modified Au-SPE and complete the fabrication of the Ion Imprinted Polymer (IIP) sensor. The electrochemical behaviour of the sensor was monitored using Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV) methods, while the morphology and chemical composition of its layers were observed by infrared Fourier transform (FTIR), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with energy dispersion X-Ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) techniques. In addition, after a successful control test using a Non-Imprinted Ion Polymer (NIIP) sensor, the obtained results demonstrated satisfactory sensitivity and selectivity to nitrite compared to co-existing interfering substances in EBC, such as nitrate, acetate and ammonium nitrate. Under improved experimental conditions, the nitrite IIP sensor exhibits responses proportional to nitrite concentrations (R² = 0.96) over a concentration range of 0.5-50 μg mL^-1 with a detection limit (LOD) of 4 μmol L^-1 (signal-to-noise ratio S/N = 3). The proposed approach was well applied for the nitrite determination in EBC samples with a relative standard deviation (RSD = 4%) and could open clinical applications in respiratory medicine.

Keywords: Electrochemistry; Exhaled breath condensate; Ion imprinted polymer; Nitrite; Screen-printed gold electrode.

Publication types

Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

Aniline Compounds / chemistry
Biosensing Techniques / instrumentation
Biosensing Techniques / methods
Breath Tests / instrumentation*
Breath Tests / methods
Electrochemical Techniques / instrumentation*
Electrochemical Techniques / methods
Equipment Design
Gold / chemistry*
Humans
Limit of Detection
Molecular Imprinting / instrumentation
Molecular Imprinting / methods
Nanostructures / chemistry*
Nanostructures / ultrastructure
Nitrites / analysis*
Polymers / chemistry*
Polyvinyl Alcohol / chemistry

Substances

Aniline Compounds
Nitrites
Polymers
2-aminothiophenol
Gold
Polyvinyl Alcohol