Chiral magnetic-nanobiofluids for rapid electrochemical screening of enantiomers at a magneto nanocomposite graphene-paste electrode

Abstract

The development of highly sensitive and selective enantiomeric platforms towards the rapid screening of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is nowadays a crucial challenge in several fields related to pharmacology, biomedicine, biotechnology and (bio)sensors. Herein, it is presented a novel, facile and generic methodology focused on exploiting the synergistically and electrocatalytic properties of chiral magnetic-nanobiofluids (mNBFs) with electrochemical enantiobiosensing at a magneto nanocomposite graphene paste electrode (mNC-GPE). The feasibility of this approach has been validated by chirally recognizing tryptophan (TRP) enantiomers as a proof-of-concept. For this aim, a specific chiral mNBF based on an aqueous dispersion of cobalt ferrite loaded with gold nanoparticles carrying a thiolated β-cyclodextrin (β-CD-SH/Au/CoFeO-NPs) has been synthesized and used towards the supramolecular discrimination of TRP enantiomers at an advanced graphene-paste transducer via cyclic voltammetry. This strategy, which is the first demonstration of applicability of chiral mNBFs for electrochemical enantiorecognition, opens up new approaches into enantio(bio)sensing.

Cyclodextrin‐Functionalised Nanomaterials for Enantiomeric Recognition

“…All of these techniques described above prob predominantly the distinct change in current response due to the preferential binding of one chiral form (generally the l ‐form) to the cavity of the incorporated CD. However, although there are sometimes small peak potential position changes between the chiral forms (ascribed to the change in immediate environment of the aromatic ring and formation of hydrogen bonds), somewhat surprisingly, Zor et al. reports small current changes with large peak potential position differences between chiral forms of an enantiomer .…”

Carbon nanotube-based nanocomposite sensor tuned with a catechol as novel electrochemical recognition platform of uranyl ion in aqueous samples

“…The use of (bio)recognition agents can pre-concentrate the analyte on the electrode surface, improving several analytical parameters such as sensitivity, (enantio)selectivity as well as detection limits [21], [27], [28]. Catechols are compounds that contain two neighboring hydroxyl groups in an aromatic ring [29].…”

Chiral 3D‐printed Bioelectrodes

“…Therefore, the design of analytical recognition systems capable to selectively discriminate chiral targets is of essential importance in the life science and pharmaceutical industries. Concretely, the chiral discrimination of amino acids—the building blocks for proteins and important metabolites—is a current analytical challenge not only for the screening of pharmaceutical intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients, [ 6 ] but also for the rapid diagnosis of inherited metabolic disorders (e.g., aminoacidopathies, which are characterized by the physiological disturbances of amino acids due to the deficiencies of functional enzymes). [ 7 ]…”