Metal–organic composite material-based electrochemical sensors for biomolecule quantification

A novel electrochemical sensor offering superior analytical performance criteria has been developed to quantify various biomolecules involved in life-threatening ailments [1,2]. The composite material comprises a layer of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) conducting polymer (PEDOT) and platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) electrodeposited on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface through the application of a sinusoidal voltage (SV) procedure with tailored electrochemical parameters. The sinusoidal voltage method relies on the application of a sinusoidal voltage on a constant voltage for a precisely monitored timeframe. The antifouling capability of the polymeric matrix, combined with the enhanced sensitivity and the remarkable catalytic properties offered by the metallic nanoparticles, ensures the accurate and reliable detection of biologically important molecules. Moreover, the newly synthesized analytical device displays a trend of cost-effective production associated with the potential for additional functionalization using renewable or sustainable material sources for environmental protection. The GCE-PEDOT/PtNP electrochemical sensor was successfully implemented for serotonin determination in a synthetic buffer solution. The sensor responded selectively to serotonin, with a linear response range of 1-80 µM. The sensor’s optimum analytical capacity was validated, achieving a detection limit of 1.8 µM for the target analyte. Moreover, the analytical performance of the devised sensing platform proved to be in agreement with the data available in the literature. The results point to the effectiveness of the SV procedure for the selective determination of target analytes in a complex medium featuring various interfering molecules.

Acknowledgments: This work was performed within the research theme “Development of Electrochemical Sensors for Biologically Active Compounds Determination” of the Erasmus+ Traineeship Program between POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest and the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

References

[1] Leau et al. Chemosensors (2023). 11.3:179.

[2] Monari et al. Talanta (2025). 282-126958.