Design of DNA biosensors and amperometric microchips featuring copper electrodes

Abstract

Electrochemical detection (ECD) is one of the best means for producing DNA biosensors and disposable microchips, oriented for electroactive analyte's separation and detection applications like biomedical and in vitro diagnostic. Electrode material is one of the major factors that influence the performance and development of biosensors and ECD microchips. Traditionally, the ECD sensing has been based on platinum electrode which is costly though it offers good current sensitivity. In this study a copper electrode has been investigated as an alternative sensing strategy. Preliminary results indicate that the copper electrodes are also capable of performing both detection and separation, yielding a significant limit of detection. On average the copper electrodes are capable of detecting the redox currents which are consistently higher 10 IlA compared to 30 IlA for platinum electrodes using DNAanalytes. This work will pave the way in designing a more affordable and disposable microchips.

Low electric field DNA separation and in‐channel amperometric detection by microchip capillary electrophoresis

“…The bottom glass substrate layer was embedded with Pt electrodes, by RF sputtering; these electrodes were etched using photolithographic processing. The Pt was selected as electrode material because of its superconductivity and inertness in redox reactions [19]. The design was based on an in-channel amperometric detection technique and consisted of three Pt sensing electrodes such as working, reference and counter electrodes.…”

The electrochemistry of 5-halocytosines at carbon based electrodes towards epigenetic sensing

“…Direct oxidation of DNA bases has been performed using a plethora of electrode materials such as mercury [23], platinum [24], gold [25], copper [26] and silver [27].…”