Direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin on a room temperature ionic liquid modified electrode and its electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of oxygen

A room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIm][BF4]), was successfully immobilized on the surface of a basal plane graphite (BPG) electrode through silica sol and Nafion film to form a sol/RTIL/Nafion modified electrode. Direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin (Hb), which was adsorbed on the surface of sol/RTIL/Nafion modified electrode, was investigated. The results from cyclic voltammetry (CV) suggested that Hb could be tightly adsorbed on the surface of the electrode. A couple of well-defined and quasi-reversible CV peaks of Hb can be observed in a phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0). RTIL shows an obvious promotion for the direct electro-transfer between Hb and electrode. Hb adsorbed on electrode surface exhibits an obvious electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of oxygen O-2. The reduction peak currents were proportional linearly to the concentration of oxygen in the range 0.14-1.82 mu M. A third generation biosensor based on RTIL can be constructed for the determination of O-2. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.