Microelectrode
plays a crucial role in developing a rapid biosensor
for detecting toxicity in water. In this study, a nanoribbon electrode
(NRE) with amplified microelectrode signal was successfully prepared
by electrodepositing 2-allylphenol on a double-sided indium tin oxide
glass. The NRE provided a simple mean for obtaining large steady-state
current response. Its advantages were discussed by contrasting the
toxicity detection of 3,5-dichlorophenol (DCP) with single microelectrode,
microelectrode array, and millimeter electrode as working electrodes
in which potassium ferricyanide (K3[Fe(CN)6]) was adopted as a mediator, and Escherichia coli was selected as bioreceptor. At
a constant potential of 450 mV, the current reached a steady state
within 10 s. The biosensor was constructed using the NRE as working
electrode, and its feasibility was verified by determining the toxicity
of DCP. A 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 3.01 mg/L
was obtained by analyzing the current responses of different concentrations
of DCP within 1 h. These results exhibited that the proposed method
based on the as-prepared NRE was a rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective
way for toxicity detection in water.