Papers by Arunas Ramanavicius
Materials
The most common neurological disorders, i.e., Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (A... more The most common neurological disorders, i.e., Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are characterized by degeneration of cognitive functions due to the loss of neurons in the central nervous system. The aggregation of amyloid proteins is an important pathological feature of neurological disorders.The aggregation process involves a series of complex structural transitions from monomeric to the formation of fibrils. Despite its potential importance in understanding the pathobiology of PD and AD diseases, the details of the aggregation process are still unclear. Nanoparticles (NPs) absorbed by the human circulatory system can interact with amyloid proteins in the human brain and cause PD. In this work, we report the study of the interaction between TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) and ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) on the aggregation kinetics of β-amyloid fragment 1-40 (βA) and α-synuclein protein using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and tip-enhanced Raman spectr...
Polymers
This paper provides an overview of the application of conducting polymers (CPs) used in the desig... more This paper provides an overview of the application of conducting polymers (CPs) used in the design of tactile sensors. While conducting polymers can be used as a base in a variety of forms, such as films, particles, matrices, and fillers, the CPs generally remain the same. This paper, first, discusses the chemical and physical properties of conducting polymers. Next, it discusses how these polymers might be involved in the conversion of mechanical effects (such as pressure, force, tension, mass, displacement, deformation, torque, crack, creep, and others) into a change in electrical resistance through a charge transfer mechanism for tactile sensing. Polypyrrole, polyaniline, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), polydimethylsiloxane, and polyacetylene, as well as application examples of conducting polymers in tactile sensors, are overviewed. Attention is paid to the additives used in tactile sensor development, together with conducting polymers. There is a long list of additives and com...
Materials
The process of nanoparticles entering the cells of living organisms is an important step in under... more The process of nanoparticles entering the cells of living organisms is an important step in understanding the influence of nanoparticles on biological processes. The interaction of nanoparticles with the cell membrane is the first step in the penetration of nanoparticles into cells; however, the penetration mechanism is not yet fully understood. This work reported the study of the interaction between TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells using an in vitro model. The characterization of crystalline phases of TiO2 NPs was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Interaction of these TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2- NPs) with the CHO cell membrane was investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy. The XRD analysis result showed that the structure of the TiO2 particles was in the rutile phase with a crystallite size of 60 nm, while the AFM result showed that ...
Polymers, 2022
Polymers represent materials that are applied in almost all areas of modern life, therefore, the ... more Polymers represent materials that are applied in almost all areas of modern life, therefore, the characterization of polymer layers using different methods is of great importance. In this review, the main attention is dedicated to the non-invasive and label-free optical and acoustic methods, namely spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). The specific advantages of these techniques applied for in situ monitoring of polymer layer formation and characterization, biomolecule immobilization, and registration of specific interactions were summarized and discussed. In addition, the exceptional benefits and future perspectives of combined spectroscopic ellipsometry and QCM-D (SE/QCM-D) in one measurement are overviewed. Recent advances in the discussed area allow us to conclude that especially significant breakthroughs are foreseen in the complementary application of both QCM-D and SE techniques for the investigation of polymer structure and...
Sensors, 2022
This review is dedicated to the development of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and the appl... more This review is dedicated to the development of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and the application of MIPs in sensor design. MIP-based biological recognition parts can replace receptors or antibodies, which are rather expensive. Conducting polymers show unique properties that are applicable in sensor design. Therefore, MIP-based conducting polymers, including polypyrrole, polythiophene, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), polyaniline and ortho-phenylenediamine are frequently applied in sensor design. Some other materials that can be molecularly imprinted are also overviewed in this review. Among many imprintable materials conducting polymer, polypyrrole is one of the most suitable for molecular imprinting of various targets ranging from small organics up to rather large proteins. Some attention in this review is dedicated to overview methods applied to design MIP-based sensing structures. Some attention is dedicated to the physicochemical methods applied for the transduction of ...
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022
Monitoring and tracking infection is required in order to reduce the spread of the coronavirus di... more Monitoring and tracking infection is required in order to reduce the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To achieve this goal, the development and deployment of quick, accurate, and sensitive diagnostic methods are necessary. The determination of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is performed by biosensing devices, which vary according to detection methods and the biomarkers which are inducing/providing an analytical signal. RNA hybridisation, antigen-antibody affinity interaction, and a variety of other biological reactions are commonly used to generate analytical signals that can be precisely detected using electrochemical, electrochemiluminescence, optical, and other methodologies and transducers. Electrochemical biosensors, in particular, correspond to the current trend of bioanalytical process acceleration and simplification. Immunosensors are based on the determination of antigen-antibody interaction, w...
Micromachines, 2021
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coro... more The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was proclaimed a global pandemic in March 2020. Reducing the dissemination rate, in particular by tracking the infected people and their contacts, is the main instrument against infection spreading. Therefore, the creation and implementation of fast, reliable and responsive methods suitable for the diagnosis of COVID-19 are required. These needs can be fulfilled using affinity sensors, which differ in applied detection methods and markers that are generating analytical signals. Recently, nucleic acid hybridization, antigen-antibody interaction, and change of reactive oxygen species (ROS) level are mostly used for the generation of analytical signals, which can be accurately measured by electrochemical, optical, surface plasmon resonance, field-effect transistors, and some other methods and transducers. Electrochemical biosensors are the most consistent with the gen...
Polymers, 2020
Conjugated polymers (CPs) are attractive materials for use in different areas; nevertheless, the ... more Conjugated polymers (CPs) are attractive materials for use in different areas; nevertheless, the enhancement of electrochromic stability and switching time is still necessary to expand the commercialization of electrochromic devices. To our best knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the employment of electrodeposited gold nanostructures (AuNS) for the enhancement of CPs’ electrochromic properties when a transparent electrode is used as a substrate. Polyaniline–poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PANI-PEDOT) films were electrodeposited on a transparent indium tin oxide glass electrode, which was pre-modified by two different methods. AuNS were electrodeposited at −0.2 V constant potential for 60 s using both the 1st method (synthesis solution consisted of 3 mM HAuCl4 and 0.1 M H2SO4) and 2nd method (15 mM HAuCl4 and 1 M KNO3) resulting in an improvement of optical contrast by 3% and 22%, respectively. Additionally, when using the 1st method, the coloration efficiency was imp...
Polymers, 2021
Recent challenges in biomedical diagnostics show that the development of rapid affinity sensors i... more Recent challenges in biomedical diagnostics show that the development of rapid affinity sensors is very important issue. Therefore, in this review we are aiming to outline the most important directions of affinity sensors where polymer-based semiconducting materials are applied. Progress in formation and development of such materials is overviewed and discussed. Some applicability aspects of conducting polymers in the design of affinity sensors are presented. The main attention is focused on bioanalytical application of conducting polymers such as polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) ortho-phenylenediamine. In addition, some other polymers and inorganic materials that are suitable for molecular imprinting technology are also overviewed. Polymerization techniques, which are the most suitable for the development of composite structures suitable for affinity sensors are presented. Analytical signal transduction methods applied in affinity sensors...
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020
Recent progress in the application of new 2D-materials—MXenes—in the design of biosensors, biofue... more Recent progress in the application of new 2D-materials—MXenes—in the design of biosensors, biofuel cells and bioelectronics is overviewed and some advances in this area are foreseen. Recent developments in the formation of a relatively new class of 2D metallically conducting MXenes opens a new avenue for the design of conducting composites with metallic conductivity and advanced sensing properties. Advantageous properties of MXenes suitable for biosensing applications are discussed. Frontiers and new insights in the area of application of MXenes in sensorics, biosensorics and in the design of some wearable electronic devices are outlined. Some disadvantages and challenges in the application of MXene based structures are critically discussed.
Nanomaterials, 2021
Charge transfer (CT) is a very important issue in the design of biosensors and biofuel cells. Som... more Charge transfer (CT) is a very important issue in the design of biosensors and biofuel cells. Some nanomaterials can be applied to facilitate the CT in these bioelectronics-based devices. In this review, we overview some CT mechanisms and/or pathways that are the most frequently established between redox enzymes and electrodes. Facilitation of indirect CT by the application of some nanomaterials is frequently applied in electrochemical enzymatic biosensors and biofuel cells. More sophisticated and still rather rarely observed is direct charge transfer (DCT), which is often addressed as direct electron transfer (DET), therefore, DCT/DET is also targeted and discussed in this review. The application of conducting polymers (CPs) for the immobilization of enzymes and facilitation of charge transfer during the design of biosensors and biofuel cells are overviewed. Significant attention is paid to various ways of synthesis and application of conducting polymers such as polyaniline, polypy...
Sensors, 2021
This review focuses on the overview of microbial amperometric biosensors and microbial biofuel ce... more This review focuses on the overview of microbial amperometric biosensors and microbial biofuel cells (MFC) and shows how very similar principles are applied for the design of both types of these bioelectronics-based devices. Most microorganism-based amperometric biosensors show poor specificity, but this drawback can be exploited in the design of microbial biofuel cells because this enables them to consume wider range of chemical fuels. The efficiency of the charge transfer is among the most challenging and critical issues during the development of any kind of biofuel cell. In most cases, particular redox mediators and nanomaterials are applied for the facilitation of charge transfer from applied biomaterials towards biofuel cell electrodes. Some improvements in charge transfer efficiency can be achieved by the application of conducting polymers (CPs), which can be used for the immobilization of enzymes and in some particular cases even for the facilitation of charge transfer. In th...
Polymers, 2021
Biosensors for the determination of glucose concentration have a great significance in clinical d... more Biosensors for the determination of glucose concentration have a great significance in clinical diagnosis, and in the food and pharmaceutics industries. In this research, short-chain polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (Ppy)-based nanocomposites with glucose oxidase (GOx) and 6 nm diameter AuNPs (AuNPs(6 nm)) were deposited on the graphite rod (GR) electrode followed by the immobilization of GOx. Optimal conditions for the modification of GR electrodes by conducting polymer-based nanocomposites and GOx were elaborated. The electrodes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and constant potential amperometry in the presence of the redox mediator phenazine methosulfate (PMS). The improved enzymatic biosensors based on GR/PANI-AuNPs(6 nm)-GOx/GOx and GR/Ppy-AuNPs(6 nm)-GOx/GOx electrodes were characterized by high sensitivity (65.4 and 55.4 μA mM−1 cm−2), low limit of detection (0.070 and 0.071 mmol L−1), wide linear range (up to 16.5 mmol L−1), good repeatability (RSD 4.67 and 5.89%), ...
Polymers, 2020
Nanocomposites based on two conducting polymers, polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (Ppy), with e... more Nanocomposites based on two conducting polymers, polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (Ppy), with embedded glucose oxidase (GOx) and 6 nm size gold nanoparticles (AuNPs(6nm)) or gold-nanoclusters formed from chloroaurate ions (AuCl4−), were synthesized by enzyme-assisted polymerization. Charge (electron) transfer in systems based on PANI/AuNPs(6nm)-GOx, PANI/AuNPs(AuCl4−)-GOx, Ppy/AuNPs(6nm)-GOx and Ppy/AuNPs(AuCl4−)-GOx nanocomposites was investigated. Cyclic voltammetry (CV)-based investigations showed that the reported polymer nanocomposites are able to facilitate electron transfer from enzyme to the graphite rod (GR) electrode. Significantly higher anodic current and well-defined red-ox peaks were observed at a scan rate of 0.10 V s−1. Logarithmic function of anodic current (log Ipa), which was determined by CV-based experiments performed with glucose, was proportional to the logarithmic function of a scan rate (log v) in the range of 0.699–2.48 mV s−1, and it indicates that diffu...
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021
The review focuses on the overview of electrochemical sensors based on molecularly imprinted poly... more The review focuses on the overview of electrochemical sensors based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the determination of uric acid. The importance of robust and precise determination of uric acid is highlighted, a short description of the principles of molecular imprinting technology is presented, and advantages over the others affinity-based analytical methods are discussed. The review is mainly concerned with the electro-analytical methods like cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, amperometry, etc. Moreover, there are some scattered notes to the other electrochemistry-related analytical methods, which are capable of providing additional information and to solve some challenges that are not achievable using standard electrochemical methods. The significance of these overviewed methods is highlighted. The overview of the research that is employing MIPs imprinted with uric acid is mainly targeted to address these topics: (i) type of polymers, which...
Nanomaterials, 2019
Polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole (Ppy), and polythiophene (PTh) composite nanoparticles with embed... more Polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole (Ppy), and polythiophene (PTh) composite nanoparticles with embedded glucose oxidase (GOx) were formed by enzymatic polymerization of corresponding monomers (aniline, pyrrole, and thiophene). The influence of monomers concentration, the pH of solution, and the ratio of enzyme/substrate on the formation of PANI/GOx, Ppy/GOx, and PTh/GOx composite nanoparticles were spectrophotometrically investigated. The highest formation rate of PANI-, Ppy-, and PTh-based nanoparticles with embedded GOx was observed in the sodium acetate buffer solution, pH 6.0. The increase of optical absorbance at λmax = 440 nm, λmax = 460 nm, and λmax = 450 nm was exploited for the monitoring of PANI/GOx, Ppy/GOx and PTh/GOx formation, respectively. It was determined that the highest polymerization rate of PANI/GOx, Ppy/GOx, and PTh/GOx composite nanoparticles was achieved in solution containing 0.75 mg mL−1 of GOx and 0.05 mol L−1 of glucose. The influence of the enzymatic polyme...
Polymers, 2019
Several types of polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (Ppy) nanocomposites with embedded glucose ox... more Several types of polyaniline (PANI) and polypyrrole (Ppy) nanocomposites with embedded glucose oxidase (GOx) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were formed by enzymatic polymerization of corresponding monomers (aniline and pyrrole) in the presence of 6 and 13 nm diameter colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs(6nm) or AuNPs(13nm), respectively) or chloroaurate ions (AuCl4−). Glucose oxidase in the presence of glucose generated H2O2, which acted as initiator of polymerization reaction. The influence of polymerization bulk composition and pH on the formation of PANI- and Ppy-based nanocomposites was investigated spectrophotometrically. The highest formation rate of PANI- and Ppy-based nanocomposites with embedded glucose oxidase and gold nanoparticles (PANI/AuNPs-GOx and Ppy/AuNPs-GOx, respectively) was observed in the solution of sodium acetate buffer, pH 6.0. It was determined that the presence of AuNPs or AuCl4− ions facilitate enzymatic polymerization of aniline and pyrrole.
Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2019
Bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) proteins gp51, which are serving as antigens for specific antibodies... more Bovine leukaemia virus (BLV) proteins gp51, which are serving as antigens for specific antibodies against BLV proteins (anti-gp51), were applied as biological recognition part in the design of immunosensor devoted for the determination of anti-gp51. The efficiency of the immobilization of BLV proteins gp51 on ZnO nanorod (ZnO-NR) modified glass (ZnO-NR/glass) surface was evaluated. The formation of antigen-antibody complex on the ZnO/glass modified by the BLV proteins gp51 (gp51/ZnO-NR/glass) was investigated by the determination of changes in ZnO photoluminescence. The applicability of gp51/ZnO-NR/glass in the design of photoluminescence based immunosensor was evaluated. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was applied for the modification of sensing gp51 layer in order to form gp51&BSA layer with advanced selectivity. Polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) was applied in order to improve the immobilization of gp51 and BSA based sensing layer (gp51&BSA) on the surface of ZnO-NR/glass. PAH was applied during the formation of gp51&BSA/PAH/ZnO-NR/glass structure. Some aspects of the mechanism of interaction between biomolecules (gp51, BSA and anti-gp51) and ZnO-NR during the preparation and action of gp51&BSA/ZnO-NR/glass-and gp51&BSA/PAH/ZnO-NR/glass-based immunosensors have been discussed.
Polymers, 2018
Chemical synthesis of the conducting polymer polypyrrole induced by [Fe(CN) ] 3− is reported. Rea... more Chemical synthesis of the conducting polymer polypyrrole induced by [Fe(CN) ] 3− is reported. Reaction kinetics were characterized spectrophotometrically. Reaction rate was evaluated at several different pH levels in the presence of [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3− and [Fe(CN) 6 ] 4− ions. The formation of polypyrrole at aerobic and anaerobic conditions was evaluated. We report that at anaerobic conditions [Fe(CN) 6 ] 4− cannot initiate oxidative polymerization, while its oxidized form [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3− successfully initiates and maintains the pyrrole polymerization reaction. The formation of polypyrrole was also observed in the solution containing a pyrrole monomer, [Fe(CN) 6 ] 4− and dissolved oxygen due to re-oxidation (redox cycling) of [Fe(CN) 6 ] 4− into [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3− by dissolved oxygen. Experiments to determine the polymerization reaction rate were performed and showed the highest rate in the presence of 0.5 mM of [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3− at pH 9.0, while the polymerization reaction performed at pH 7.0 was determined as the slowest. This investigation opens new horizons for the application of [Fe(CN) 6 ] 4− /[Fe(CN) 6 ] 3−-based redox cycling reactions in the synthesis of the conducting polymer polypyrrole and potentially in the formation of other conducting polymers which can be formed by oxidative polymerization.
Analytical Methods, 2015
The manuscript focuses on investigating some points in employing protein G based antibody immobil... more The manuscript focuses on investigating some points in employing protein G based antibody immobilization for the development of a reusable SPR immunosensor aimed at human growth hormone detection in real samples. Following our findings a model immunosensor was developed, tested and adapted for human serum analysis.
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Papers by Arunas Ramanavicius