Voltammetric Determination of DNA Damage Caused by Genotoxic 2-Aminofluorene at a Carbon Film Electrode

A large-surface carbon film electrode (ls-CFE) represents a suitable alternative to the commercially available disposable screen-printed carbon working electrodes. Its simple, fast and inexpensive preparation, simple mechanical renewal of the electrode surface (by wiping off the old film with filter paper and forming a new one), good repro- ducibility of measurements, elimination of problems connected with "electrode history" and simple chemical modification are its main advantages. In this Bachelor Thesis, the utilization of ls-CFE for the preparation of a simple elec- trochemical DNA biosensor for the detection of carcinogenic environmental pollutant, 2-aminofluorene (2-AF), is presented. The composition of carbon ink suspension was optimized and tested using a Fe(II)/Fe(III) redox system by cyclic voltammetry (CV). A large-surface solid electrode, covered by a carbon film of the optimum composition, was then used as a transducer for the preparation of double stranded DNA (dsDNA) based electrochemical DNA biosensor (dsDNA/ls-CFE). The electrochemical behavior of dsDNA (i) present in the measured supporting electrolyte (0.1 mol.L−1 acetate buffer of pH 4.7) or (ii) attached at the ls-CFE surface (by covering with dsDNA stock solution and leaving to dry) was investigated using square wave voltammetry..