Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Chemistry)

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https://hdl.handle.net/10566/14656

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Browsing by Author "Baker, P.G.L."

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    Development of polyaniline nanotube electrocatalysts and sesor devices for phenolic-pollutants
    (University of the Western Cape, 2007) Klink, Michael John; Iwuoha, Emmanuel; Baker, P.G.L.; Dept. of Chemistry; Faculty of Science
    As a source of life, water is one of the most precious commodities for all living organisms. Water resources are reported to be declining in numbers or the amount of water present and the existing onses are being polluted as a result of negligent human activities and intense industrialisation. thus, there is an ever increasing demand to monitor the quality of portable and waste water in our surroundings in real time. This study has been directed towards the prepaparation of polyanilines.
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    Frequency and voltage-modulated electrochemical aflatoxin B1 immunosensor systems prepared on electroactive organic polymer platforms
    (University of the Western Cape, 2008) Owino, Joseph Hasael Odero; Baker, P.G.L.; Iwuoha, Emmanuel; Dept. of Chemistry; Faculty of Science
    In the presented work, immunosensors for detection of Aflatoxin B1 based on different immobilization platforms were studied. Synthesis of an electroactive hydrogel was also carried out. Aflatoxins are a group of mycotoxins that have deleterious effects on humans and are produced during fungal infection of plants or plant products. Electrochemical immunosensor for the determination of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was developed with anti-aflatoxin B1 antibody immobilized on Pt electrodes modified with polyaniline (PANi) and polystyrene sulphonic acid (PSSA). Impedimetric analysis shows that the electron transfer resistances of Pt/PANi-PSSA electrode, Pt/PANi-PSSA/AFB1-Ab immunosensor and Pt/PANi-PSSA/AFB1-Ab incubated in BSA were 0.458, 720 and 1066 kΩ, respectively. These results indicate that electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a suitable method for monitoring the change in electron-transfer resistance associated with the immobilization of the antibody. Modelling of EIS data gave equivalent circuits which showed that the electron transfer resistance increased from 0.458 kΩ for Pt/PANi-PSSA electrode to 1066 kΩ for Pt/PANi-PSSA/AFB1-Ab immunosensor, indicating that immobilization of the antibody and incubation in BSA introduced an electron transfer barrier. The AFB1 immunosensor had a detection limit of 0.1 mg/L and a sensitivity of 869.6 kΩL/mg.
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    Immunosensors developed on clathrate platform compounds
    (University of the Western Cape, 2013) Nohako, Kanyisa; Baker, P.G.L.; Iwuoha, Emmanuel
    Organic noncyclic compounds were used in the development of immunosensor for rapid fish species detection. Flourene derivatives show unique chemical and physical properties because they contain a rigid planar biphenyl unit, and the facile substitution at C9 position of the flourene can improve the solubility and processability of materials containing flourene without significantly increasing of steric interactions in the compounds backbone. 9-(4- methoxyphenyl)-9H-xanthen-9-ol is bulky, rigid and has an hydroxyl moiety that may act as a hydrogen – bond donor, as well as a pyranyl oxygen which is a potential hydrogen –bond acceptor. We have successfully synthesised 9,9’-(ethyne1,2-diyl)bis(flouren-9-ol) by reflux method and 9-(4-methoxyphenyl)-9H-xanthen-9-ol through stirring at room temperature. The products were characterised using spectroscopic methods and were found to be both UV/Vis active (λmax = 400 nm flourene derivative and λmax = 337 nm xanthene derivative ) and fluorescent (440nm and 467nm flourene derivative and 344 and 380 xanthene derivative). These compounds were drop coated onto commercial glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to produce thin films. Scan rate dependent cyclic voltammetry (CV) confirmed the electrodynamics of the thin films to be consistent with monolayer diffusion (De = 1.37x10-21 cm2/s flourene derivative and De = 9.79x10-21 cm2/s xanthene derivative). Surface concentration was estimated to be 1.55x10-13 mol cm-2 flourene derivative and 2.00x10-13 mol cm-2. These compounds were used for the inclusion of parvalbumin antibodies immobilised onto clathrate platform by incubation and were evaluated as immunosensors for fish species identification. The antibody/antigen binding event was evaluated using UV/Vis spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The immunosensor response to parvalbumin in real samples of snoek (an indigenous fish species), tuna, fish paste, eyeshadow, lipstick, omega 3&6 and Scott's emulsion was evaluated. The sensitivity as calculated from EIS for each immunosensor was found to be 5.36x104 flourene derivative immunosensor and 4,11x104 xanthene derivative immunosensor and the detection limit of 1.50 pg/ml flourene derivative immunosensor and 2.42 pg/ml xanthene derivative immunosensor. The antibody/antigen binding was monitored as decrease in charge transfer resistance and increase in capacitance by EIS. The interfacial kinetics of the immunosensors were modelled as equivalent electrical circuit based on EIS data. The UV/Vis spectroscopy was used to confirm the binding of the antibody/antigen in solution by monitoring the intensity of the absorption peak.
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    Mercaptobenzothiazole-on-Gold Biosensor Systems for Organophosphate and Carbamate Pesticide Compounds
    (University of the Western Cape, 2007) Somerse, Vernon Sydwill; Iwuoha, Emmanuel; Baker, P.G.L.; Dept. of Chemistry; Faculty of Science
    This study firstly reports the development, characterisation, and application of thick-film acetylcholinesterase (AChE) biosensors based on a gold electrode modified with a mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) self-assembled monolayer and either poly(omethoxyaniline) (POMA) or poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline) (PDMA) in the presence of polystyrene(4-sulphonic acid) (PSSA). The Au/MBT/POMA-PSSA/AChE and Au/MBT/PDMA-PSSA/AChE biosensors were then applied to successfully detect standard organophosphorous and carbamate pesticides in a 0.1 M phosphate buffer, 0.1 M KCl (pH 7.2) solution. Secondly, it reports the construction of the Au/MBT/PANI/AChE/PVAc thick-film biosensor for the determination of certain organophosphate and carbamate pesticide solutions in selected aqueous organic solvent solutions.