Inventors: Kröger S, Turner APF, Haupt KO, Mosbach K
Patent Title: Affinity electrode for electrochemical analysis
Publication date: 1999
Publication number: GB2337332

Abstract: The electrode, has a surface modified with a synthetic polymer which is functionalised to enable the polymer to specifically recognise, bind and concentrate, in close proximity to the electrode surface, an analyte or group of analytes. Functional groups in the polymer can be randomly distributed, or the polymer can be molecularly imprinted. The polymer can be attached to the electrode through various methods such as adsorption, entrapment within a membrane or macroporous polymer or direct polymerisation at the electrode surface. The electrodes may be screen-printed. The polymer concentrates analyte from the sample solution at the electrode increasing its concentration and lowering the detection limit of the analyte. Either the bound analyte itself or an electrochemically active derivative thereof preincubated with the electrode or added to the sample (competition/displacement assay) is quantified electrochemically (for example by differential pulse or square wave voltammetry) directly at the electrode surface. The device can be used in the detection of analytes of medical, environmental or nutritional relevance, detection of substituted phenols, morphine and phenoxyacid herbicides being specified. The device may be used in harsh environments such as organic solvents and may be disposable.
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