Poly(1,3,5-tris(4-ethynylphenyl)-benzene) Conjugated Polymers as Electrochemical Sensors for Hydrogen Peroxide Detection

Conjugated polymers (CPs) are becoming increasingly appealing for biological applications. Here, we report a strategy for detecting physiological species by using poly(1,3,5-tris(4-ethynylphenyl)-benzene) (PTEPB), a 1,3-diyne-linked CP. PTEPB was synthesized from 1,3,5-tris(4-ethynylphenyl)benzene (TEPB) via an oxidative coupling reaction. The electrochemical properties of PTEPB were then measured by using a representative biomarker, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which showed satisfactory results. Moreover, control experiments and quantum chemistry calculations were performed to analyze the microscopic mechanism of the electrode reaction. The results revealed that the specific active sites were the 1,3-diyne linkages in PTEPB. This method was successfully applied for the sensitive monitoring of H2O2 released from living cells, demonstrating the great potential that CPs have in the detection of physiological species.