A new material has been developed which more effectively harnesses the power of enzymes, boosting device performance in electrochemical biosensors and other applications.
The energy transfer between enzymes and electrodes has proved difficult to date inhibiting enzyme use in electronic devices. To solve this problem, the team of researchers from the University of Tsukuba developed employed a special material called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Commonly used in existing gas adsorption and separation applications in other fields, MOFs are a combination of metal and organic linkers which form a porous crystalline structure.
Typical MOFs are redox-inactive and have poor conductivity, issues the team remedied by introducing redox mediators to act as a “wire” and improve electron exchange between the enzyme and electrode. Additionally, as noted in their research published in Materials Horizons, the team developed a new nanoscale structure to assist in the immobilization of the enzyme on the electrode surface, effectively reducing enzyme leaching.
The innovative materials developed could enable highly efficient and stable enzyme-based biosensors capable of long-term measurements. Given the stability and efficiency of the development, future applications could include fields ranging from disease diagnosis to environmental monitoring.