Chemical & Biochemical

Sensors
 Sensors

• Term Sensor wide-spreading expression since 1970s

• no universal general definition

assembly of receptor and transducer = sensor

sometimes terms transducer and sensor equivalently used

• working definition:
Sensor is a device
- detecting certain physical or chemical properties of the environment
- converting the information (usually) to an electric signal
- possessing some specific qualities:
simple, ease of operation, maintainance

• biological equivalent
biological receptor
 Introduction
Chemical Sensors

• A chemical sensor is a device that transforms chemical information,

ranging from the concentration of a specific sample component to total
composition analysis, into an analytically useful signal.
The chemical information, mentioned above, may originate from a
chemical reaction of the analyte or from a physical property of the
system investigated (IUPAC).**

Wolfbeis 1990:
Chemical sensors are small-sized devices comprising a recognition
element, a transduction element, and a signal processor capable of continuously and
reversibly reporting a chemical concentration.

* in some Analytical Chemistry textbook

** A. Hulanicki, S. Glab and F. Ingman, Pure&Appl. Chern., Vol. 63, No. 9, pp. 1247-1250, 1991.
 Analogy between artificial and biological sensors
biological system intelligent artificial system
control system:
central signal / data central processor
brain
processing processing processing computer

amplification
nervous stimulus / information amplification analogue
preprocessing
pathway propagation preprocessing circuitry
propagation
electric signal signal (usually electric)

signal generation signal generation transducer sensing

sensory
element,
cell receptor receptor
recognition probe

environment
Chemical Sensors

Chemical sensors consist of:

receptor: it is a recognition element (recognition layer), sensing element
interacts with chemical components (analytes)
based on chemical reactions, physical properties
„molecular (ionic) recognition
transducer: transforms the chemical information into a(n) (electric) signal
based on certain physical or physico-chemical principles
primary amplification of the signal
 Principle of a Chemical Sensor
receptor

evaluation
system to be
analyzed Trans-
(e.g., test ducer
solution)
Signal
(usually
electric)
molecular or
ionic recognition
Sensors

• some properties of sensors

- direct contact with system to be investigated
- provide (usually) electric signals
- fast response time
- continuous, quasi continuous or repetitive measurement
but also „one-shot sensors for single measurements
- small devices
- inexpensive (mass production)
• sometimes advantageous:
- ease of operation and maintenance
- portability
 Classification of Sensors

• according to the stimulus

input energy output energy

stimulus transducer
(or signal) (or signal)

- electric sensors: charge, current, potential, electric field, permittivity

- optical sensors: wave properties (amplitude, polarization, wavelength),

absorption, emissivity, refractive index, reflectivity,
surface plasmon resonance

- thermal sensors: temperature, flux, conductivity, specific heat

- radiometric sensors
particle counters, scintillators, dosimeters

- electrochemical sensors
electrical parameters depending on chemical reactions or properties
conductivity, potentials, Faradaic currents
 Chemical Sensors: Optical Trasduction

• Classification of Chemical Sensors (IUPAC)

1. Optical devices: absorbance, reflectance, luminescence, fluorescence,
refractive index, surface plasmon resonance effect, optothermal effect,
light scattering.

example for a fiber optical

chemical sensor FOCS
 Chemical Sensors: Electrochemical Trasduction

• Classification of Chemical Sensors (IUPAC)

2. Electrochemical devices
(a) voltammetric sensors including amperometric sensors,
(b) potentiometric sensors,
(c) chemically sensitized field effect transistor (CHEMFET),
(d) potentiometric solid electrolyte gas sensors (high temperature)

example of an example of an
electrochemical electrochemical
(potentiometric) (potentiometric)
sensor for solid electrolyte gas
hydronium ions sensor for O2
(pH); glass lambda probe
electrode
and silver chloride
reference electrode

example of an
electrochemical
(amperometric)
gas sensor for
H 2S
 Chemical Sensors: Biosensor
Biosensors
A chemical sensor is a device that transforms chemical information,
ranging from the concentration of a specific sample component to total
composition analysis, into an analytically useful signal.
Chemical sensors usually contain two basic components connected in series:
a chemical (molecular) recognition system (receptor)
and a physicochemical transducer.
Biosensors are chemical sensors in which the recognition system utilizes a
biochemical mechanism.

The biosensors are not presented as a special class because

the process on which they are based is, in general, common to chemical sensors.
They may be also differentiated according to the biological elements used in
the receptor.
Those may be: organisms, tissues, cells, organelles, membranes, enzymes,
antibodies, etc.
The biosensors may have several enzymatic systems coupled which serve for
amplification of the signal.
 Biosensor

Principle of a biosensor
substrate (triangles) interacts more or less specifically of the bio-active layer B
(recognition layer, contains biological component such as enzymes, antibodies etc.)
T – transducer
A – amplifier
R – recorder
 Introduction
Some Sensor History
1906-09 first pH electrode
Max Cremer (biologist, 1865-1935) first to measure potential on glass bubble
M. Cremer (1906), Z. Biol, 47, 562
F. Haber and Z. Klemensiewicz, Z. Phys. Chem. 1909, 67, 385
1956 invention of the oxygen electrode, L. Clark
1962 first description of a biosensor – amperometric glucose biosensor
L.Clark, C.Lyons, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1962;102,29-45
1969 first potentiometric biosensor – urease immobilized on an NH3-electrode
1970 invention of the ISFET
1972-75 first commercial biosensor – Yellow Springs Instruments glucose sensor
1975 first microbe-based biosenor
first immunosensor: ovalbumin on a platinum wire
invention of the pO2 / pCO2 optode
1980 first fiber optic pH sensor for in vivo blood gases
1982 first fiber optic-based biosensor for glucose
1983 first surface plasmon resonance (SPR) immunosensor
1984 first mediated amperometric biosensor (ferrocene, GOx for glucose)
1987 Launch of MediSense ExacTech blood glucose biosensor