| abstract |
Broadly, the present invention takes advantage of the ability of self-protonated sulfonated polyaniline (SPAN) to sense and/or modulate pH of a medium in the vicinity of a SPAN electrode. Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for sensing pH of a medium in the vicinity of a sensing electrode wherein a SPAN electrode and a counter-electrode are placed in a medium and an indicia of said SAN correlative with the pH of said medium is monitored. As another aspect of the present invention, the pH of a medium in the vicinity of a sensing electrode is modulated by placing a SPAN electrode in the medium and applying a voltage to the electrode to controllably emit or absorb protons from said electrode to modulate the pH of the medium in the vicinity of the electrode. As a further aspect of the present invention, the activity/state of a biosensor/catalyst is sensed for the activity/state correlative with pH. As a further aspect of the present invention, the activity/state of a biosensor/catalyst, where the activity/state is correlative with pH, is controlled by associating the biosensor/catalyst with a SPAN electrode in contact with a medium containing said biosensor/catalyst, and applying a voltage to said electrode to controllably emit or absorb protons from said electrode to control the activity/state of said biosensor/catalyst. |