Immobilisation of glucose oxidase within metallic nanotubes arrays for application to enzyme biosensors

Arrays of nanoscopic gold tubes were prepared by electroless deposition of the metal within the pores of polycarbonate particle track-etched membranes (PTM). Glucose oxidase (Gox) was immobilised onto preformed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) (mercaptoethylamine or mercaptopropionic acid) on electroless gold via cross-linking with glutaraldehyde or covalent attachment by carbodiimide coupling. The effectiveness of the different steps in the Gox immobilisaition procedure was assessed by contact angle measurements, cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The enzyme loading was estimated by radioactivity measurements. The sensitivity to beta-glucose of these different biosensors has been evaluated. Glucose responses as large as 400 nA mM(-1) cm(-2) have been obtained. To our knowledge, this sensitivity value is amongst the highest values reported in the literature for comparable biosensor systems. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.