NiO nanoparticle-based urea biosensor

NiO nanoparticles (NiO-NPs) have been exploited successfully for the fabrication of a urea biosensor. A thin film of NiO nanoparticles deposited on an indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate serves as an efficient matrix for the immobilisation of urease (Ur), the specific enzyme for urea detection. The prepared bioelectrode (Ur/NiO-NP/ITO/glass) is utilised for urea sensing using cyclic voltammetry and UV-visible spectroscopy. NiO nanoparticles act as electro-catalytic species that are based on the shuttling of electrons between Ni2+ and Ni3+ in the octahedral site and result in an enhanced electrochemical current response. The prepared bioelectrode (Ur/NiO-NPs/ITO/glass) exhibits a high sensitivity of 21.3 mu A/(mM * cm(2)) and a good linearity in a wide range (0.83-16.65 Mm) of urea concentrations with fast response time of 5 s. The low value of the Michaelis-Menten constant (K-m=0.34 mM) indicates the high affinity of Ur towards the analyte (urea). The high catalytic activity, along with the redox behaviour of NiO-NPs, makes it an efficient matrix for the realisation of a urea biosensor. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.