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Date of Award
2018
Document Type
Restricted Thesis: Campus only access
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Department
Chemistry
First Advisor
Dr. Michael C. Leopold
Abstract
First generation biosensor development is of interest because the strategy can be readily adapted to many different, clinically-relevant analytes with specific enzymatic reactions to help provide selectivity. Oxidation of hydrogen peroxide, a by-product of said enzymatic reactions, at a platinum electrode allows for amperometric sensing of the targeted analyte in real-time. The layer-by-layer strategy has been explored for glucose sensing, as a model system, but this study adapts the design to uric acid for early detection of pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia risk. Each of four layers (outer polyurethane selective membrane, the inner selective electropolymer, and the xerogel bi-layer) are optimized for uric acid sensitivity and interferent discrimination. The development of the uric acid biosensor not only acts as a proof of concept for adapting a specific enzyme-based xerogel biosensor to another targeted molecule but also acts a significant step in uric acid biosensor commercial development and more effective pregnancy-induced hypertension diagnosis and monitoring.
Recommended Citation
Conway, Grace; Leopold, Michael; Lambertson, Raef H.; Schwarzmann, Margaret A.; Pannell, Michael J.; Kerins, Helene W.; Rubenstein, Kristin J.; and Dattelbaum, Jonathan D., "Layer-by-layer design and optimization of xerogel-based amperometric first generation biosensors for uric acid" (2018). Honors Theses. 1323.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/1323