Polypyrrole-based optical probe for a hydrogen peroxide assay.

An optical sensing probe has been developed by taking advantage of the polypyrrole (PPy) chromophore. The absorbance of the oxidation product of pyrrole, i.e., solubilized PPy colloids, is shown to be directly proportional to the concentration of hydrogen peroxide, when H2O2 is used as an oxidant for pyrrole in the presence of a surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and Fe(II) in a slightly acidic aqueous solution. Based on this result, a new optical sensing method has been developed for the determination of H2O2. The probe has also been applied to optical sensing of ethanol by biocatalyzed generation of H2O2 in the presence of O2, ethanol, and alcohol oxidase. The novel methodology is expected to provide a general protocol for the determination of H2O2 as well as for numerous other oxidase-based reactions producing H2O2 as a product.