Electrochemical Sensors Based on Self-Assembling Peptide/Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites for Sensitive Detection of Bisphenol A

Abstract

In this study, a cationic amphiphilic self-assembling peptide (SAP) Z23 was designed, and a simple bisphenol a (BPA) sensor, based on SAP Z23/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (Z23/MWCNTs) composite, was successfully fabricated on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The composite material was formed by π-π stacking interaction between the aromatic group on the hydrophobic side of Z23 and the side-wall of MWCNTs, with the charged hydrophilic group of Z23 exposed. During the electrocatalytic process of BPA, a synergistic effect was observed between Z23 and MWCNTs. The current response of the sensor based on composite material was 3.24 times that of the MWCNTs-modified electrode, which was much higher than that of the peptide-based electrode. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used to optimize the experimental conditions affecting the analytical performance of the modified electrode. Under optimal conditions, the linear range of the sensor was from 10 nM to 100 μM by amperometric measurement with sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD) at 6.569 μAμM−1cm−2 and 1.28 nM (S/N = 3), respectively. Consequently, the sensor has excellent electrochemical performance and is easy to fabricate, making it a good prospect in the field of electrochemical detection in the future.