Electrochemical sensing platform of natural estrogens based on the poly(l-proline)-ordered mesoporous carbon composite modified glassy carbon electrode

A novel poly(l-proline)-ordered mesoporous carbon film with controllable thickness on the glassy carbon electrode surface was fabricated by one-step electrochemical technique and further used for the construction of electrochemical sensing platform of natural estrogens. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were employed to characterize the surface morphology, structure and interface property of the polymer. The voltammetric behaviors of estrogens involving estradiol, estrone and estriol were investigated on the modified electrode, and the proposed electrode exhibited strong electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of three estrogens especially for estradiol, making it a promising electrochemical sensing platform for sensitive detection of estrogens. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range of estradiol obtained by square-wave voltammetric determination was 1.0 × 10−8–2.0 × 10−6 mol/L with a low detection limit of 5.0 × 10−9 mol/L. The developed modified electrode was also applied to the determination of estradiol in female blood serums with satisfactory results.