Simple Fabrication of Amperometric Nitric Oxide Microsensors Based on Electropolymerized Membrane Films

Demand for highly sensitive, selective, and practically reliable sensors which could be easily fabricated is increasing for various applications in biological and biomedical systems. Thus, here we present a novel and simple amperometric NO microsensor based on electropolymerized polymeric films. The sensor consists of a platinized Pt disk anode (25-mu m diameter) which surface is modified with electropolymerized polymer films and a Ag/AgCI wire cathode coiled around the anode. Three different electropolymerized films prepared from m-phenylenediamine (m-PD), 2 3-diaminonaphthalene (2,3-DAN), and 5-amino-1-naphthol (5A1N) are compared in terms of their permselectivity for NO over major biological interferents such as anionic nitrite, ascorbic acid, uric acid; neutral acetaminophen; and cationic dopamine. Poly-5A1N film layer among the three different polymers shows the best anti-interference characteristics for all the electroactive interferents examined. Indeed, single polymer film of electropolymerized 5A1N without any additional modification as a NO selective membrane is confirmed to be sufficient to reject anionic, neutral, as well as cationic interferents while allowing relatively high permeation of NO through it. Other analytical performance of the NO microsensor fabricated with poly-5A1N is evaluated: reliable linear dynamic range (a few tells nM to mu M); sensitivity of 122.0 +/- 2.5 pA/mu M; detection limit of < 5.8 nM (S/N = 3); response time, t(90%) < 5 s, which are excellent when considering the small sensor size. Another sensor design which has both all anode (poly-5A1N modified platinized Pt) and a cathode (Ag/AgCl disk) embedded in a single sensor body is also presented.