Member Profile
Usisipho Feleni
Country of origin: South Africa Currently in: South Africa, Johannesburg General field of specialization: Chemical Sciences-
Degrees
2017 Doctorate Chemical Sciences -
Current Research Activities
Chemical Sciences
Dr Usisipho Feleni is an electroanalytical chemist, who received her training at the University of Western Cape Sensor Laboratories (SensorLab), the Biosensor and Bioelectronics Centre at Linköping University in Sweden and the University of Missouri Medical School in Columbia, Missouri, USA. Her research interest includes electrochemical biosensors and sensors, developed with functionalised-nanomaterials and quantum dots, that have applications in clinical diagnostics and environmental analysis. There is a strong research emphasis on phenotype-based biosensors for monitoring the metabolism of the drugs that are used for the treatment of such critical diseases as breast cancer, HIV and tuberculosis. Another important research focus area is the designing of nanomaterials-functionalised hydrogel/ceramic membranes suitable for application in multifunctional electrocatalytic reactors for sensing, quantification and removal of emerging pharmaceutical contaminants (EPC) from domestic and environmental wastewater. Dr Feleni has expertise in the instrumentation and techniques of small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) spectrometry, as well as in its applications, especially in the characterisation of nanomaterials. She has publications in peered reviewed journals in the area of biosensors and electroanalysis; and she is supervising/co-supervising 8 PhD and 7 MSc students. She has collaborations with the SensorLab at UWC, the Biosensor and Bioelectronics Centre at Linköping University and Tianjin Polytechnic University, China .
Publications resulting from Research:
(1) Feleni, U., Sidwaba, U., Makelane, H., Iwuoha, E.I. Core-shell Palladium Telluride Quantum Dot-Hemethiolate Cytochrome Based Biosensor for Detecting Indinavir Drug (2019). Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 19, pp. 1-8. DOI: 10.1166/jnn.16866.
(2) Makelane, H., Waryo, T., Feleni, U., Iwuoha, E.I. Dendritic Copolymer electrode for second harmonic alternating current voltammetric signalling of pyrene in oil polluted wastewater (2019). Talanta, 196, pp. 204-210. DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2018.12.038.
(3) Feleni, U., Sidwaba, U., Ntshongontshi, N., Ndangili, Wilson, L., Iwuoha, EI. Biocompatible Palladium Telluride Quantum Dot-Amplified Biosensor for HIV Drug (2019). Electrocatalysis, accepted.
(4) Sidwaba, U., Ntshongontshi, N., Feleni, U., Wayro, T., Wilson, L., Iwuoha, E.I. Manganese Peroxidase-based electro-Oxidation of bisphenol A at hydrogellic polyaniline-titania nanocomposite-modified glassy carbon electrode (2019). Electrocatalysis, pp. 1-9. DOI: 10.1007/s12678-019-0510-x.
(5) Ndangili, P.M., Masikini, M., Feleni, U., Douman, S., Tovide, O., Williams, A., Baker, P., Iwuoha, E.I., Gallium-Induced Perturbation of Zinc Selenide Quantum Dots Electronics (2017) ChemistrySelect, 2, pp. 7054–7062. DOI :10.1002/slct.20170074
(6) Feleni, U., Ajayi, R., Jijana, A., Sidwaba, U., Douman, S., Baker, P., Iwuoha, E. Tin selenide quantum dots electrochemical biotransducer for the determination of indinavir - A protease inhibitor anti-retroviral drug (2017) Journal of Nano Research, 45, pp. 12-24. DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/JNanoR.45.12
(7) Rassie, C., Van Wyk, J., Wilson, L., Ntshongontshi, N., Jonnas, A., Feleni, U., Ajayi, R.F., Baker, P., Iwuoha, E. Electrochemical ultra-low detection of isoniazid using a salicylaldamine functionalised G1-DAB-(NH2)4 dendritic sensor vs. UV-VIS spectrophotometric detection (2017) Journal of Nano Research, 45, pp. 164-174. DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/JNanoR.45.164.
(8) Douman, S., Feleni, U., Ross, N., Fuku, X., Ajayi, R., Nxusani, E., Ntshongontshi, N., Sidwaba, U., Rassie, C., Jijana, A., Baker, P., Williams, A., Iwuoha, E. New generation nanoelectrochemical biosensors for disease biomarkers: 1. Indium telluride quantum dots signaling of telomerase cancer biomarker (2016) Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 16 (12), pp. 12844-12850. DOI: 10.1166/jnn.2016.13648
(9) Feleni, U., Ajayi, R., Jijana, A., Sidwaba, U., Douman, S., Baker, P., Iwuoha, E. Tin selenide quantum dots electrochemical biotransducer for the determination of indinavir - A protease inhibitor anti-retroviral drug (2016) Journal of Nano Research, 44, pp. 196-207. DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/JNanoR.44.196
(10) Masikini, M., Ndangili, P.M., Ikpo, C.O., Feleni, U., Duoman, S., Sidwaba, U., Waryo, T.T., Baker, P.G.L., Iwuoha, E.I. Optoelectronics of stochiometrically controlled palladium telluride quantum dots (2016) Journal of Nano Research, 40, pp. 29-45. DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/JNanoR.40.29
(11) Ajayi, R.F., Nxusani, E., Douman, S.F., Jonnas, A., Ntshongontshi, N., Feleni, U., Pokpas, K., Wilson, L., Iwuoha, E.I. Silver nanoparticle-doped poly (8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulphonic acid)/CYP2E1 nanobiosensor for isoniazid - A first line anti-tuberculosis drug (2016) Journal of Nano Research, 44, pp. 229-251. DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/JNanoR.44.229
(12) Ntshongontshi, N., Baleg, A.A.A., Ajayi, R.F., Rassie, C., Nxusani, E., Wilson, L., Feleni, U., Sidwaba, U., Qakala, S., Duoman, S., Baker, P., Iwuoha, E. Cytochrome P450-3A4/copper-poly(propylene imine)-polypyrrole star co-polymer nanobiosensor system for delavirdine - A non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor HIV drug (2016) Journal of Nano Research, 44, pp. 265-280. DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/JNanoR.44.265
(13) Sidwaba, U., Feleni, U., Makelane, H., Nxusani, E., Wilson, L., Qakala, S., Rassie, C., Masikini, M., Waryo, T., Ajayi, R.F., Baker, P., Iwuoha, E. A novel polyaniline nanocomposite with doping effects of poly(methyl methacrylate) and TiO2 nanoparticles (2016) Journal of Nano Research, 44, pp. 281-292. DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/JNanoR.44.281.
(14) Rassie, C., van Wyk, J., Wilson, L., Makelane, H.R., Feleni, U., Sidwaba, U., Mapolie, S., Baker, P., Iwuoha, E. Microscopy and electroanalysis of a first-generation copper-poly(propyleneimine) metallodendrimer system (2015) International Journal of Electrochemical Science, 10 (1), pp. 432-444.
(15) Ajayi, R.F., Sidwaba, U., Feleni, U., Douman, S.F., Tovide, O., Botha, S., Baker, P., Fuku, X.G., Hamid, S., Waryo, T.T., Vilakazi, S., Tshihkudo, R., Iwuoha, E.I. Chemically amplified cytochrome P450-2E1 drug metabolism nanobiosensor for rifampicin anti-tuberculosis drug (2014) Electrochimica Acta, 128, pp. 149-155. DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2013.12.147.
(16) Sidwaba, U., Ajayi, R.F., Feleni, U., Douman, S., Baker, P.G.L., Vilakazi, S.L., Tshikhudo, R., Iwuoha, E.I. Polyanilino-Carbon Nanotubes derivatised cytochrome P450 2E1 Nanobiosensor for the determination of pyrazinamide Anti-tuberculosis drugs (2014). Nano Hybrids, 6, pp. 59-73.
BOOK CHAPTER
Fomo, G., Waryo, T., Feleni, U., Baker, P., and Iwuoha, E.I. Functional Polymers, Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series. Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 M. A. Jafar Mazumder et al. (eds.). DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-92067-2_3-1
Current profession
Current professional activities type:ResearchTraining students from BSc honors/BTech to Post doctoral level Research in high school and participating in community engagement
