Immobilization of acetylcholinesterase on one-dimensional gold nanoparticles for detection of organophosphorous insecticides

This paper reports a simple method for immobilization of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) on one-dimensional (1D) gold (Au) nanoparticles for detection of organophosphorous (OP) insecticides. 1D Au nanoparticles were prepared by electrodeposition in the pores of an alumina template which was subsequently removed by 2.0 M NaOH solution. They were characterized by XRD and FESEM. The immobilized AChE retained its biological activity and catalyzed the hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine to form thiocholine, which was subsequently oxidized to produce detectable signals. Based on the inhibition toward the enzymatic activity of AChE by OP insecticides, sensitive detection of methamidophos (an OP insecticide) was performed. Under optimal conditions, the sensors could be used for the determination of methamidophos ranging from 0.004 to 24 μg/mL with the detection limit of 0.001 μg/mL. The developed OP insecticide biosensors exhibited satisfactory stability and reproducibility. This work demonstrated that 1D Au nanoparticles could serve as an ideal carrier for immobilization of AChE to fabricate the corresponding biosensor.