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Bio-sniffers for ethanol and acetaldehyde using carbon and Ag/AgCl coated electrodes

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Abstract

Monitoring of ethanol and acetaldehyde in expired gas after drinking is an effective method for assessment of alcohol metabolic function. We have developed bioelectronic gas sensors (bio-sniffers) for convenient measurement of ethanol and acetaldehyde. The bio-sniffers were fabricated using a simple process and inexpensive method. The process consisted of coating carbon and Ag/AgCl on a filter paper using screen-printing, and immobilizing alcohol oxidase and aldehyde dehydrogenase on the carbon electrode. These bio-sniffers showed good response to ethanol and acetaldehyde vapor and were used to sense these vapors in the concentration range 1.0 to 100 ppm and 0.2 to 4.0 ppm, respectively. The calibration ranges cover the alcohol and acetaldehyde concentration in breath air after drinking. The bio-sniffer for acetaldehyde is applicable also to evaluate other aldehydes (i.e. formaldehyde as volatile organic compounds).

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), by JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research and by MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Special Funds for Education and Research “Advanced Research Program in Sensing Biology”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Technology Research Institute, 3-13-10 Nishigaoka, Kita-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Tomoko Gessei & Elito Kazawa

  2. Graduate School (Medicine and Dentistry), Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Tomoko Gessei & Elito Kazawa

  3. Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Hiroyuki Kudo, Hirokazu Saito & Kohji Mitsubayashi

  4. Department of Human and Information Science, Tokai University, 1117 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, Japan

    Hitoshi Sato

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  1. Tomoko Gessei
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  2. Hitoshi Sato
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  3. Elito Kazawa
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  4. Hiroyuki Kudo
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  5. Hirokazu Saito
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  6. Kohji Mitsubayashi
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Correspondence to Kohji Mitsubayashi.

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Gessei, T., Sato, H., Kazawa, E. et al. Bio-sniffers for ethanol and acetaldehyde using carbon and Ag/AgCl coated electrodes. Microchim Acta 165, 179–186 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-008-0117-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-008-0117-z

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