Development of Au nanoparticles dispersed carbon nanotube-based biosensor for the detection of paraoxon

A disposable and sensitive biosensor has been fabricated for the detection of the organophosphorous (OP) compound paraoxon using an amperometric technique. For the measurements, gold nanoparticles dispersed on the outer surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (Au-MWNTs) has been used as the electrode material, as it possesses high electron transfer rates and provides large immobilization sites for the bioenzymes, which combines with the high electrocatalytic activity of MWNTs for thiocholine oxidation at low potential. Au-MWNTs have been synthesized by chemically reducing Au salt over functionalized MWNTs, and the same has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM) techniques. The ability of the Au-MWNTs nanocomposite-based biosensor has been demonstrated to reliably measure the concentration of paraoxon in the nanomolar range. © 2010 The Royal Society of Chemistry.