pH Controlled Impedimetric Sensing of Copper(II) Ion Using Oxytocin as Recognition Element

Abstract

We report the modulation of the specific metal gation properties of a peptide and demonstrate a highly selective sensor for copper(II) ion. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is reported for its high affinity towards Zn2+ and Cu2+ at physiological pH. The binding of the metal ions to OT is tuned by altering the pH of the medium. OT was self-assembled on glassy carbon electrode using surface chemistry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used to probe the binding of Cu2+. Our results clearly indicate that at pH 10.0, the binding of Cu2+ to OT is increased compared to that at pH 7.0, while the binding to Zn2+ becomes almost negligible. This proves that the selectivity of OT towards each of the ions can be regulated simply by controlling the pH of the medium and hence allows the preparation of a sensing device with selectivity to Cu2+.