Journal of Physical Chemistry & Biophysics
Open Access

Employment of conducting polymers in electrochemical food testing

3^rd International Conference on Electrochemistry

July 10-11, 2017 Berlin, Germany

Rasa Pauliukaite

Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Lithuania

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Phys Chem Biophys

Abstract :

Food quality is an extremely important issue nowadays when abundant additives and preservatives are used in food industry. One of the fast, simple and rather cheap methods for detection of such compounds in food is electroanalysis or in other words analysis using electrochemical (bio)sensors. In order to develop an excellent (bio)sensor, a complicated surface modification of simple materials such as graphite, metals or glass is required. Electrochemical (bio)sensors need a conducting substrate for further sensor development. Furthermore, the surface should be modified with electroactive compounds those accelerate electrochemical process at the (bio)sensor as well as increase its sensitivity. Often these molecules have unsatisfactory adhesion to the substrate surface, therefore, polymers are used to â�?�?lockâ�? active molecules on the (bio)sensor. Hence, non-electroactive polymers would decrease sensor sensitivity; therefore, conducting polymers are used in such cases. First conducting polymers were synthesized in the second part of the XXth century and a Nobel Prize was awarded for investigation of the properties of these polymers. Nowadays, many kinds of such polymers are known and have various applications. The most used polymers in the construction of (bio)sensors are polyaniline and polypyrrole. Taking in mind that biosensors have biological molecules in their architecture, conducting polymers should be biocompatible. Such kind of conducting polymers is developed in our group using natural monomers. The monomers are some water soluble vitamins of aromatic nature with heteroatoms and amino groups. Such kind of polymers play a few roles in (bio)sensing: i) accelerate response signal to analyze compound; ii) entrap other active and/or biological molecules on the sensor surface; iii) stabilize the biological part of the sensor due to its biocompatibility. Application of such conducting polymers in the food analysis will be presented and discussed.

Biography :

Email: pauliukaite@fmc.lt