Amperometric sensor for ethanol based on one-step electropolymerization of thionine–carbon nanofiber nanocomposite containing alcohol oxidase

Thionine had strong interaction with carbon nanofiber (CNF) and was used in the non-covalent functionalization of carbon nanofiber for the preparation of stable thionine–CNF nanocomposite with good dispersion. With a simple one-step electrochemical polymerization of thionine–CNF nanocomposite and alcohol oxidase (AOD), a stable poly(thionine)–CNF/AOD biocomposite film was formed on electrode surface. Based on the excellent catalytic activity of the biocomposite film toward reduction of dissolved oxygen, a sensitive ethanol biosensor was proposed. The ethanol biosensor could monitor ethanol ranging from 2.0 to 252 μM with a detection limit of 1.7 μM. It displayed a rapid response, an expanded linear response range as well as excellent reproducibility and stability. The combination of catalytic activity of CNF and the promising feature of the biocomposite with one-step non-manual technique favored the sensitive determination of ethanol with improved analytical capabilities.