Electrochemical synthesis and characterization of TiO2 nanoparticles and their use as a platform for flavin adenine dinucleotide immobilization and efficient electrocatalysis

Here, we report the electrochemical synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) using the potentiostat method. Synthesized particles have been characterized by using x-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results revealed that the TiO2 film produced was mainly composed of rutile and that the particles are of a size in the range of 100 +/- 50 nm. TiO2 NPs were used for the modification of a screen printed carbon electrode (SPE). The resulting TiO2 film coated SPE was used to immobilize flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). The flavin enzyme firmly attached onto the metal oxide surface and this modified electrode showed promising electrocatalytic activities towards the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in physiological conditions. The electrochemistry of FAD confined in the oxide film was investigated. The immobilized FAD displayed a pair of redox peaks with a formal potential of -0.42 V in pH 7.0 oxygen-free phosphate buffers at a scan rate of 50 mV s(-1). The FAD in the nanostructured TiO2 film retained its bioactivity and exhibited excellent electrocatalytic response to the reduction of H2O2, based on which a mediated biosensor for H2O2 was achieved. The linear range for the determination of H2O2 was from 0.15 x 10(-6) to 3.0 x 10(-3) M with the detection limit of 0.1 x 10(-6) M at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The stability and repeatability of the biosensor is also discussed.