Matrices for Sensors from Inorganic, Organic, and Biological Nanocomposites

Abstract

Matrices and sensors resulting from inorganic, organic and biological nanocomposites are presented in this overview. The term nanocomposite designates a solid combination of a matrix and of nanodimensional phases differing in properties from the matrix due to dissimilarities in structure and chemistry. The nanoocomposites chosen for a wide variety of health and environment sensors consist of Anodic Porous Allumina and P450scc, Carbon nanotubes and Conductive Polymers, Langmuir Blodgett Films of Lipases, Laccases, Cytochromes and Rhodopsins, Three-dimensional Nanoporous Materials and Nucleic Acid Programmable Protein Arrays.

Biomarker Discovery by Novel Sensors Based on Nanoproteomics Approaches

“…One recently described example is the mixture of cytochrome P450 with anodic porous alumina. In fact, a cytochrome P450 thin film developed and characterised in order to be used as cholesterol biosensor, is the most succesful inorganic biosensor based on P450ssc and anodic porous alumina, and will be explained in detail in the Biomarker Discovery in Metabolic Diseases section [ 29 , 48 ]. On the other hand, nanocomposites have been successfully employed as matrices suitable for protein microarrays.…”

“…Nowadays, there are biosensors based on conducting polymers, which have been shown to be useful for glucose estimation form 1 to 40 mM and a stability of about 6 days. A novel glucose biosensor based on MWNTs have been developed improving upon the previous ones [ 29 ]. Lactate biosensor: until now, two different technologies have been approached for the development of nanosystems: film electrodes in combination with microdialysis systems and screen printed electrodes, which have shown a linear dynamic range from 0.2 to 1 mM of lactate and a stability of about 3 weeks.…”

“…The cholesterol detection and measurement is made by cyclic voltammetry (CV). It is achieved a very good stability mainly because the enzyme was very strongly trapped in the APA/PLL matrix [ 29 , 48 ]. Uric acid biosensor: useful in gout, hyperuricaemia and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.…”

“…Nowadays, there are biosensors based on conducting polymers, which have been shown to be useful for glucose estimation form 1 to 40 mM and a stability of about 6 days. A novel glucose biosensor based on MWNTs have been developed improving upon the previous ones [ 29 ].…”

Prototypes of Newly Conceived Inorganic and Biological Sensors for Health and Environmental Applications

“…This paper describes the utilization of a wide range of complex nanocomposites [1] for optimal implementation of three newly conceived sensors within the framework of FIRB Nanoitalnet. We used inorganic nanocomposites, such as matrices of calcium oxide [2], and biological ones such as Nucleic Acid Programmable Protein Arrays (NAPPA) [3,4] along with Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) multi-layers of proteins of primary interest such as laccase [5,6].…”