Incorporation of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Into Ferrocene Redox Polymer Films

In this study, we describe the construction of amperometric biosensors based on the incorporation of single-walled carbon nanotubes modified with the enzyme, Glucose oxidase, into redox polymer hydrogels. We demonstrate that incorporation of SWNTs into a ferrocene modified poly(ethylenimine) redox polymer (Fc-LPEI) resulted in a significant increase in the enzymatic response (3 mA/cm2) to glucose as compared to films without SWNTs (0.6 mA/cm2) or incorporation into a osmium modified poly(vinylpyridine) redox polymer film (1 mA/cm2). We also report the effects of (i) different methods of preparing SWNTs-modified polymer films; (ii) pH, (iii) SWNT wt%, and (iv) film thickness on electron transfer and the enzymatic response. The high current densities exhibited by the SWNT-based sensors should allow for the construction of biosensors with reduced dimensions as well as in the construction of miniaturized enzymatic biofuel cells.