Simultaneous detection of neurotransmitters and Cu2+ using double-bore carbon fiber microelectrodes via fast-scan cyclic voltammetry

Abstract

There is a great demand to broaden our understanding of the multifactorial complex etiology of neurodegenerative diseases to aid the development of more efficient therapeutics and slow down the progression of neuronal cell death. The role of co-transmission and the effect of environmental factors on such diseases have yet to be explored adequately, mainly due to the lack of a proper analytical tool that can perform simultaneous multi-analyte detection in real time with excellent analytical parameters. In this study, we report a simple fabrication protocol of a double-bore carbon-fiber microelectrode (CFM) capable of performing rapid simultaneous detection of neurotransmitters and Cu²⁺ via fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) in Tris buffer. After imaging our CFMs via optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy to ensure the intact nature of the two electrodes in our electrode composite, we performed a detailed analysis of the performance characteristics of our double-bore CFM in five different analyte mixtures, Cu²⁺-5HT, Cu²⁺-DA, Cu²⁺-AA, 5-HT-DA, and 5-HT-AA in Tris buffer, by applying different analyte-specific FSCV waveforms simultaneously. Calibration curves for each analyte in each mixture were plotted while extracting the analytical parameters such as the limit of detection (LOD), linear range, and sensitivity. We also carried out a control experiment series for the same mixtures with single-bore CFMs by applying one waveform at a time to compare the capabilities of our double-bore CFMs. Interestingly, except for the Cu²⁺-DA solution, all other combinations showed improved LOD, linear ranges, and sensitivity when detecting simultaneously with double-bore CFMs compared to single-bore CFMs, an excellent finding for developing this sensor for future in vivo applications.