Porous carbon‐based electrochemical platform for direct electron transfer in myoglobin

Abstract

AbstractA direct electron tunneling of myoglobin (cardiac biomarker) onto a magnesium oxide templated carbon electrode surface (MgOC) was observed. The porous carbon material employed in this work possesses a 3D macropores structure. Herein, the presence of a 3D curvature‐like structure provides a favorable environment for anchoring the protein myoglobin, which facilitates direct electron transfer by the myoglobin encapsulated within electroactive carbon and improves the mass transfer inside the carbon. The direct electron transfer of myoglobin at MgOC demonstrated the usefulness of this carbon material as an effective platform for studying the redox properties of various proteins and biomolecules that are of clinical relevance. The proposed strategy is distinct from the other known electrochemical strategies that involve a denaturant to partially open up myoglobin‘s redox‐active center, and thereby myoglobin is not detected in its native state. Our results also indicated a concentration‐dependent irreversible electron transfer from the heme center to the electrode surface. Further, the detection was rapid, and the analysis can be completed within a few minutes than other existing approaches that may take a few days up to a week for the results. The MgOC electrode also exhibited excellent stability towards the detection of myoglobin.