Development of a dehydrogenase-based glucose anode using a molecular assembly composed of nile blue and functionalized SWCNTs and its applications to a glucose sensor and glucose/O2 biofuel cell

A simple and new way to immobilize glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) enzyme onto nile blue (NB) covalently assembled on the surface of functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (f-SWCNTs) modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode (GDH/NB/f-SWCNTs/GC electrode) was described. The GDH/NB/f-SWCNTs/GC electrode possesses promising characteristics as glucose sensor; a wide linear dynamic range of 100–1700 μM, low detection limit of 0.3 μM, fast response time (1–2 s), high sensitivity (14 μA cm−2 mM−1), anti-interference ability and anti-fouling. Moreover, the performance of the GDH/NB/f-SWCNTs/GC bioanode was successfully tested in a glucose/O2 biofuel cell. The maximum power density delivered by the assembled glucose/O2 biofuel cell could reach 32.0 μW cm−2 at a cell voltage of 0.35 V with 40 mM glucose. The present procedure can be applied for preparing a potential platform to immobilize different enzymes for various bioelectrochemical applications.