Microelectrochemical enzyme transistors

Abstract

Conducting polymers, such as poly(aniline) or poly(3-methylthiophene), change their conductivity by many orders of magnitude upon oxidation or reduction. This modulation of the conductivity of the polymer by redox reactions can be utilised to fabricate microelectrochemical transistorselectrochemical devices that behave in many ways as analogues of solid state junction field effect transistors. When combined with suitable redox enzymes these devices can be developed as miniature biosensors which offer a number of interesting advantages, particularly for use with small sample volumes or at low analyte concentrations.