In this work, an electrochemical DNA biosensor, based on a dual signal amplified strategy by employing a polyaniline film and gold nanoparticles as a sensor platform and enzyme-linked as a label, for sensitive detection is presented. Firstly, polyaniline film and gold nanoparticles were progressively grown on graphite screen-printed electrode surface via electropolymerization and electrochemical deposition, respectively. The sensor was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry and impedance measurements. The polyaniline-gold nanocomposite modified electrodes were firstly modified with a mixed monolayer of a 17-mer thiol-tethered DNA probe and a spacer thiol, 6-mercapto-1-hexanol (MCH). An enzyme-amplified detection scheme, based on the coupling of a streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase conjugate and biotinylated target sequences was then applied. The enzyme catalyzed the hydrolysis of the electroinactive a-naphthyl phosphate to a-naphthol; this product is electroactive and has been detected by means of differential pulse voltammetry. In this way, the sensor coupled the unique electrical properties of polyaniline and gold nanoparticles (high surface area, fast heterogeneous electron transfer, chemical stability, and ease of miniaturisation) and enzymatic amplification. A linear response was obtained over a concentration range (0.2-10 nM). A detection limit of 0.1 nM was achieved.

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A composite surface coating is prepared by electropolymerization of a mixture of pyrrole and carbon nanoparticles onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The microscopic structure and morphology of the composite film is characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The modified electrode offers a considerable improvement in voltammetric sensitivity toward methyldopa (m-dopa), compared to the bare and polypyrrole-coated GCEs. A significantly enhanced anodic peak current together with a remarkable increase in sharpness of the cyclic voltammetric (CV) signals are observed for the detection of m-dopa. The effect of experimental parameters, such as scan rate and pH, are investigated by monitoring CV responses toward m-dopa. It is found that a maximum current response can be obtained at pH 3.0 under a diffusion controlled process. A wide linear dynamic range (0.2-50 mM) with a detection limit of 60 nM is achieved for m-dopa. The excellent response characteristics, e.g., high sensitivity, very good repeatability and reproducibility, and low detection limit, have made the prepared sensor suitable for the analysis of mdopa in pharmaceutical and clinical preparations.

A new sensitive electrochemical sensor was fabricated based on a layer by layer process. In this process the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) is first coated by a thin film of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). In the next step, the electropolymerization of pyrrole in the presence of Nitrazine Yellow (NY) as a dopant anion is performed on the surface of the MWCNTs precoated electrode. The electrochemical response characteristics of the modified electrode toward naltrexone (NTX) were studied by means of linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). A remarkable increase (~19 times) was observed in the anodic peak current of NTX on the surface of the modified electrode relative to the bare GCE. The effects of experimental parameters on the electrode response such as, drop size of the cast MWCNTs suspension, pH of the supporting electrolyte, accumulation conditions and the number of cycles in the electropolymerization process were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the modified electrode showed a wide linear response to the concentration of NTX in the range of 4.0 10À5 mol L À1 with a detection limit of 12 nmol L À1. The prepared sensor exhibited high sensitivity, stability and good reproducibility for the determination of NTX. This sensor was successfully applied for the accurate determination of trace amounts of NTX in pharmaceutical and clinical preparations.