Enzyme stabilization in electrochemical sensors

1. A composition for forming an electrode, the composition comprising:

an electrically conductive component;

an electrically nonconductive or semiconductive component;

and an analyte-specific enzyme,

wherein the analyte specific enzyme is covalently bonded only to the electrically conductive component, and

wherein the electrically nonconductive or semiconductive component stabilizes the analyte specific enzyme.

2. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive component is a H 2 O 2 -decomposition catalyst.

3. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive component is selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, carbon black, graphite, carbonaceous nanotubes, palladium, platinum, and hydroxides of iron oxide.

4. The composition according to claim 3 , wherein the electrically conductive component is selected from the group consisting of graphite and carbonaceous nanotubes.

5. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the enzyme is an oxidase.

6. The composition according to claim 5 , wherein the enzyme is a glucose oxidase.

7. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrically nonconductive or semiconductive component comprises a H 2 O 2 -decomposition catalyst.

8. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrically nonconductive or semiconductive component is selected from the group consisting of an H 2 O 2 -degrading metal oxide and an H 2 O 2 -degrading enzyme.

9. The composition according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one electrically nonconductive or semiconductive component comprises Ag 2 O, Al 2 O 3 or an oxide of a metal of the 4th period of the periodic table.

10. The composition according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one electrically nonconductive or semiconductive component comprises peroxidase or catalase.

11. The composition according to claim 9 , wherein the oxide of a metal of the 4th period of the periodic table is MnO 2 , Mn 3 O 4 or Mn 5 O 8 , CuO or ZnO.

12. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive component and/or the electrically nonconductive or semiconductive enzyme-stabilizing component is provided in the form of nanoparticles.

13. The composition according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one binder selected from the group consisting of fluorinated hydrocarbons, polycarbonates, polyisoprene, polyurethanes, acrylic resins, polyvinyl resins and silicones.

14. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive component and/or the electrically nonconductive or semiconductive enzyme-stabilizing component is homogeneously dispersed in the composition.

15. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the enzyme has a residual activity of at least 90% after storing the composition for at least 4 weeks at a temperature of 4° C., based on the total activity of the enzyme before storage.

16. The composition according to claim 15 , wherein the enzyme has a residual activity of at least 90% after storing the composition for at least 28 weeks at a temperature of 4° C., based on the total activity of the enzyme before storage.

17. An electrochemical sensor for determining an analyte, the sensor comprising at least one working electrode and at least one reference electrode, wherein the working electrode comprises the composition according to claim 1 .

18. The electrochemical sensor according to claim 17 , wherein it comprises a biocompatible coating covering the working electrode and the reference electrode.

19. The electrochemical sensor according to claim 17 for determining an analyte in a body fluid.

20. The electrochemical sensor according to claim 17 for determining an analyte selected from the group consisting of malic acid, alcohol, ammonium, ascorbic acid, cholesterol, cysteine, glucose, glutathione, glycerol, urea, 3-hydroxybutyrate, lactic acid, 5′-nucleotidase, peptides, pyruvate, salicylate and triglycerides.

21. The electrochemical sensor according to claim 20 for determining glucose.

22. A method for determining an analyte, comprising the steps:

(a) contacting a sample containing the analyte with an electrochemical sensor according to claim 17 , and

(b) determining the presence and/or the amount of the analyte.

23. A composition for forming an electrode, the composition comprising:

an electrically conductive component covalently bonded to an analyte-specific enzyme, and

an electrically nonconductive or semiconductive component,

wherein only the electrically conductive component is covalently bonded to the analyte-specific enzyme.