Biosensing Efficiency of Nanocarbon-Reinforced Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibrous Matrices

Abstract

The reinforcement of polymer matrices with nanocarbon fillers is highly attractive for electrochemical biosensing (due to enhanced electrical conductivity). Further processing by electrospinning results in versatile nanofibrous mats. This study compares the biosensing performance of composite polyacrylonitrile nanofibers (PAN NFs) electrospun with different carbonaceous fillers (fullerene, carbon nanotubes, graphene). Morphological characterization of the composite NFs is performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and correlated with the performance of the biosensing matrices. Glucose oxidase (GOD) is employed as model enzyme by immobilization through cross-linking. Optimum nanofiller content was evaluated at 2.0 wt%. for carboxyl functionalized-multiwall carbon nanotubes- NFs (highest sensitivity of 61.5 mAM−1cm−2 and limit of detection (LOD) of 2.0 μM), whilst reduced graphene oxide- NFs exhibited 49.3 mAM−1cm−2 sensitivity with the lowest LOD of 1.6 μM within the most extended linear range (up to 20 × 10−3 M). Insignificant effect of interferent sugars led to real sample recovery close to 100%.