Amperometric sensing of NADH and ethanol using a hybrid film electrode modified with electrochemically fabricated zirconia nanotubes and poly (acid fuchsin)

We report on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a film of chitosin containing acid fuchsin (AF) adsorbed onto zirconia nanotubes. The mixture was polymerized by cyclic voltammetric scannings in the potential range from - 0.8 V to +1.3 V in buffer solution to produce a hybrid film electrode (nano-ZrO2/PAF/GCE). The morphology of the hybrid film electrode surface was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Its electrochemical properties were studied via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical response of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) was investigated by differential pulse voltammetry and amperometry. The results indicated that the nano-ZrO2/PAF/GCE possesses well synergistic catalytic activity towards NADH. Compared to an unmodified GCE, the oxidation overpotential is negatively shifted by 224 mV, and the oxidation current is significantly increased. Under optimal conditions, the amperometric response is linearly proportional to the concentration of NADH in the 1.0 - 100.0 mu M concentration range. Ethanol also can be determined by amperometry if alcohol dehydrogenase and NADH are added to the sample. Two linear relationships between current and alcohol concentration were obtained. They cover the range from 0.03 to 1.0 mM, and from 1.0 to 12.0 mM.