The development of a reagentless lactate biosensor based on a novel conducting polymer.

A reagentless lactate biosensor is described, based on an electropolymerized copolymer film poly(5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone-co-5-hydroxy-3-acetic acid-1,4-naphthoquinone). The quinone group, as part of the polymer backbone, is electroactive and very stable in neutral aqueous medium. It can therefore act as an immobilized mediator for the enzyme recycling, at a working potential much lower than those commonly reported in the literature for other mediators. Experimental conditions for amperometric measurements (temperature, pH) are studied, especially the interference between quinone and molecular oxygen to investigate the enzyme/quinone recycling kinetic. Some well-known interferents are shown to have no measurable effect on the amperometric curves.