A new type of amperometric phenol biosensor based on chitosan/layered double hydroxides organic-inorganiccomposite film was described. This hybrid material combined the advantages of organic biopolymer, chitosan,and inorganic layered double hydroxides. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) immobilized in the material maintained itsactivity well as the usage of glutaraldehyde was avoided. The composite films have been characterized by Fouriertransform infrared. The results indicated that PPO retained the essential feature of its native structure in thecomposite film. The enzyme electrode provided a linear response to catechol over a concentration range of 3.6× 10
-9 to 4 × 10
-5 M with a sensitivity of 2750 ± 52 mA M
-1 cm
-2 and a detection limit of 0.36 nM based onS/N = 3. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (
![](/isubscribe/journals/bomaf6/8/i03/eqn/bm060897de10001.gif)
) for the sensor was found to be 0.13 mM. Theactivation energy for enzymatic reaction was calculated to be 27.6 kJ mol
-1. Furthermore, the biosensor exhibitedexcellent long-term stability and satisfactory reproducibility.