Carbon nanotube aqueous sol-gel composites: enzyme-friendly platforms for the development of stable biosensors

A new type of composite material based on carbon nanotubes and an aqueous sol-gel process has been developed. The electro-chemical characteristics of these composites were investigated and compared to composites made with an alkoxy silane sol-get process. The use of carbon nanotubes, as the conductive part of the composite, facilitated fast electron transfer rates. The feasibility of this type of composite for the development of biosensors was demonstrated using L-amino acid oxidase. The stability of the enzyme was increased when it was encapsulated in the aqueous sol-gel, and the sensor retained more that 50% of its response after 1 month of testing. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.