Metal-Based Biomimetic Sensors

The development of biologically inspired (biomimetic) sensors for the analysis of a wide range of substances represents one of the key directions in modern analytical chemistry. The importance of this field lies in the need to create rapid, accurate, and quantitative methods for the determination of target analytes. In living organisms, chemical reactions are catalyzed by enzymes, which are proteins containing prosthetic groups and function as highly efficient biological catalysts. The diversity of enzymes within a cell corresponds to the multitude of biochemical reactions occurring in it.

This study focuses on the investigation of biomimetic sensors employing metals (Pb, Ag, Al) as transducers. The active material used was iron tetraphenylporphyrin adsorbed on aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃). The designed biomimetic sensors were based on materials capable of mimicking catalase-like activity, enabling effective detection of specific analytes.

The results demonstrated that biomimetic sensors fabricated using the smart material (TPhPFe³⁺/Al₂O₃) in combination with various metals exhibit several technological advantages. These sensors showed high sensitivity, catalytic activity, stability, and reproducibility. In the detection of catalase-like activity, the limit of sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) concentration in aqueous solutions was determined as follows: for TPhPFe³⁺/Al₂O₃//Pb — 10⁻⁸ wt.%, for TPhPFe³⁺/Al₂O₃//Ag — 10⁻⁸ wt.%, and for TPhPFe³⁺/Al₂O₃//Al — 10⁻⁶ wt.%.

The developed biomimetic sensors based on metal transducers and iron tetraphenylporphyrin demonstrate high performance characteristics, making them promising tools for applications in analytical chemistry. Their high sensitivity, stability, and reproducibility enable accurate and rapid determination of hydrogen peroxide and potentially other analytes.