Dawei Fan

Electrochemical bisphenol A sensor based on N-doped graphene sheets.

Bisphenol A (BPA), which could disrupt endocrine system and cause cancer, has been considered as an endocrine disruptor. Therefore, it is very important and necessary to develop a sensitive and selective method for detection of BPA. Herein, nitrogen-doped graphene sheets (N-GS) and chitosan (CS) were used to prepare electrochemical BPA sensor. Compared with graphene, N-GS has favorable electron transfer ability and electrocatalytic property, which could enhance the response signal towards BPA. CS also exhibits excellent film forming ability and improves the electrochemical behavior of N-GS modified electrode. The sensor exhibits a sensitive response to BPA in the range of 1.0×10(-8)-1.3×10(-6) mol L(-1) with a low detection limit of 5.0×10(-9) mol L(-1) under the optimal conditions. Finally, this proposed sensor was successfully employed to determine BPA in water samples with satisfactory results.

Ultrasensitive electrochemical immunosensor for carbohydrate antigen 72-4 based on dual signal amplification strategy of nanoporous gold and polyaniline–Au asymmetric multicomponent nanoparticles

A sandwich electrochemical immunosensor is described for carbohydrate antigen 72-4 (CA72-4) based on a dual amplification strategy with nanoporous gold (NPG) film as the sensor platform and polyaniline-Au asymmetric multicomponent nanoparticles (PANi-Au AMNPs) as labels. In this study, the second anti-CA72-4 antibody (Ab2) adsorbed onto the Au of the PANi-Au AMNPs, which could be simply synthesized by interfacial reaction and have many characteristics of polyaniline and Au nanoparticle, such as well-controlled size, high conductivity, biocompatibility and catalysis. NPG film was used as electrode substrate material to fix a large number of antibodies, due to its unique properties: good biocompatibility, high conductivity, large surface area, and stability. The synergetic of NPG film and PANi-Au AMNPs could increase signal response, and significantly improve sensitivity of the immunosensor. The proposed immunosensor exhibited a wide linear range from 2 to 200 U/mL, with a detection limit of 0.10 U/mL CA72-4, good reproducibility, selectivity and stability. This new type of labels for immunosensors may provide many potential applications in the detection of carbohydrate antigen in immunoassays.

Facile fabrication of an aptasensor for thrombin based on graphitic carbon nitride/TiO2 with high visible-light photoelectrochemical activity

A novel aptasensor for thrombin with high visible-light activity was facilely fabricated based on graphitic carbon nitride/TiO2 (g-C3N4/TiO2) photoelectrochemical (PEC) composite. Crystallization of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and their strong interaction with g-C3N4 sheet were confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), both of which contributed to the high photocurrent intensity under visible-light irradiation. Carboxyl functionalized thrombin aptamers were first successfully bound to the g-C3N4/TiO2 modified electrode as proven by photoelectrochemical test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis. Ascorbic acid was utilized as the electron donor for scavenging photo-generated holes and inhibiting light driven electron-hole pair recombination. The specific recognition between thrombin aptamer and thrombin led to the linear decrease of photocurrent with the increase of logarithm of thrombin concentration in the range of 5.0×10(-13)molL(-1) to 5.0×10(-9)molL(-1) with a detection limit of 1.2×10(-13)molL(-1). This proposed low-cost, convenient and sensitive aptasensor showed promising applications in biosensor and photoelectrochemical analysis.

Visible light photoelectrochemical aptasensor for adenosine detection based on CdS/PPy/g-C3N4 nanocomposites

In this work, a label-free photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptasensor was developed for adenosine detection based on CdS/PPy/g-C3N4 nanocomposites. The CdS/g-C3N4 heterojunction effectively prevented the photogenerated charges recombination of g-C3N4 and self-photocorrosion processes of CdS, improving photo-to-current conversion efficiency. The introduced polypyrrole (PPy) nanoparticles could lead to a more effective separation of photogenerated charges, thus resulting in a further increasing of photocurrent. The CdS/PPy/g-C3N4 was firstly employed as the photoactive materials for fabrication of aptasensor, and SH-aptamer was then adsorbed on the CdS/PPy/g-C3N4 modified electrodes through S-Cd bond. With increasing of adenosine concentration, the photocurrent decreased as the formation of SH-aptamer-adenosine bioaffinity complexes. Under optimal conditions, the PEC aptasensor had a sensitive response to adenosine in a linear range of 0.3nmolL(-1) to 200nmolL(-1) with a detection limit of 0.1nmolL(-1). Besides, the as-proposed aptasensor has also been applied in human serum samples analysis. The aptasensor exhibits high sensitivity and good stability, thus opening up a new promising PEC platform for some other small molecules analysis.

A label-free amperometric immunosensor for detection of zearalenone based on trimetallic Au-core/AgPt-shell nanorattles and mesoporous carbon.

A novel label-free amperometric immunosensor is proposed for the ultrasensitive detection of zearalenone (ZEN) based on mesoporous carbon (MC) and trimetallic nanorattles (core/shell particles with movable cores encapsulated in the shells). The nanorattles are composed of special Au-core and imperfect AgPt-shell structure (Au@AgPt). The Au@AgPt nanorattles are loaded onto the MC by physical adsorption. The structure of the Au@AgPt nanorattles was characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the composition of the synthesized nanorattles. Compared with monometallic and bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs), Au@AgPt nanorattles show a higher electron transfer rate due to the synergistic effect of the Au, Ag and Pt NPs. MC further improves the sensitivity of the immunosensor because of its extraordinarily large specific surface area, suitable pore arrangement and outstanding conductivity. The large specific surface area of MC and MC@Au@AgPt were characterized by the BET method. ZEN antibodies are immobilized onto the nanorattles via Ag-NH2 bonds and Pt-NH2 bonds. Cyclic voltammetry and square wave voltammetry were used to characterize the recognizability of ZEN. Under optimum experimental conditions, the proposed immunosensor exhibited a low detection limit (1.7 pg mL(-1)), a wide linear range (from 0.005 to 15 ng mL(-1)) as well as good stability, reproducibility and selectivity. The sensor can be used in clinical analysis.

Anatase TiO2 based photoelectrochemical sensor for the sensitive determination of dopamine under visible light irradiation

Dopamine (DA), an important neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, is thought to control emotions and the balance of hormones in the human body. A photoelectrochemical sensor based on anatase TiO2 nanoparticles was developed to detect DA under visible light irradiation. The TiO2 nanoparticles were prepared by a previously reported hydrothermal method and the anatase phase was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Under visible light irradiation, the electrode modified with TiO2 nanoparticles showed a weak photocurrent response in the absence of DA; however, the photocurrent was significantly improved after DA was added to the electrolyte. The proposed photoelectrochemical sensor had a sensitive response to DA with excellent reproducibility, stability and a wide linear range. This sensor may have potential applications in the determination of DA in real samples.

Ultrasensitive electrochemical aptasensor for the detection of thrombin based on dual signal amplification strategy of Au@GS and DNA-CoPd NPs conjugates.

In this work, an ultrasensitive electrochemical aptasensor for the detection of thrombin was developed based on Au nanoparticles decorated graphene sheet (Au@GS) and CoPd binary nanoparticles (CoPd NPs). A sulfydryl-labeled thrombin capture probe (Apt1) and a biotin-labeled thrombin reporter probe (Apt2) were designed to achieve a sandwich-type strategy. Au@GS was used as a sensing platform for the facile immobilization of Apt1 through Au-S bond, forming a sensing interface for thrombin. The specific recognition of thrombin induced the attachment of Apt2-CoPd NPs to the electrode. The labeled CoPd NPs showed good catalytic properties toward the reduction of H2O2, resulting in an amperometric signal. The amperometric response was correlated to the thrombin concentration in sample solutions. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) confirmed the successful fabrication of the aptasensor. A linear response to thrombin in the range of 0.01-2.00 ng mL(-1) with a low detection limit (5 pg mL(-1)) was achieved. The proposed aptasensor showed good selectivity, good reproducibility and acceptable stability. This proposed strategy may find many potential applications in the detection of other biomolecules.

Sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor using dumbbell-like nanoparticles for the determination of gastric cancer biomarker CA72-4

A novel and sensitive nonenzymatic sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of gastric cancer biomarker CA72-4 was fabricated using dumbbell-like PtPd-Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) as a novel kind of label. The signal amplification strategy, using the synergetic effect present in PtPd-Fe3O4 to increase the reduction ability of the NPs toward H2O2, improved the sensitivity of the immunosensor. The immunosensor was constructed by modifying glassy carbon electrode with reduced graphene oxide-tetraethylene pentamine (rGO-TEPA) for effective immobilization of primary anti-CA72-4 antibody (Ab1). Secondary anti-CA72-4 antibody (Ab2) was adsorbed onto the PtPd-Fe3O4 NPs. The proposed immunosensor displayed a wide linear range (0.001-10 U/mL) with the low detection limit (0.0003 U/mL). The immunosensor was evaluated for serum samples, receiving satisfactory results. Therefore, the immunosensor possesses excellent clinical value in cancer screening as well as convenient point-of-care diagnostics.

An ultrasensitive label-free immunosensor based on CdS sensitized Fe-TiO2 with high visible-light photoelectrochemical activity.

An ultrasensitive label-free immunosensor was developed for the detection of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) based on CdS sensitized Fe-TiO2 nanocomposites with high visible-light photoelectrochemical (PEC) activity. In this protocol, ascorbic acid was used as an efficient electron donor for scavenging photogenerated holes. The Fe-doped TiO2 improved the absorption of TiO2 in the visible light region and promoted the photocurrent production distinctly. Especially, 0.1% Fe-TiO2 showed the highest photocurrent, which was 7.4 times that of pure TiO2. Carboxyl functionalized CdS nanoparticles (CdS NPs) were bonded onto Fe-TiO2 composite through interactions between carboxyl groups and TiO2, which further enhanced the PEC signal strength by approximately 2.9 fold compared with 0.1% Fe-TiO2. The specific binding between SCCA and antibody resulted in a decrease in photocurrent intensity and the intensity decreased linearly with the logarithm of SCCA concentration in the range of 0.001-75 ng mL(-1) with a detection limit of 0.22 pg mL(-1). The developed CdS enhanced Fe-TiO2 PEC immunosensor exhibited high sensitivity, good reproducibility, and low cost, which may have potential applications in clinical diagnosis of cancers, aptasensors, photocatalysis, and other related fields.

Electrochemical immunosensor for detection of prostate specific antigen based on an acid cleavable linker into MSN-based controlled release system.

A mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN)-based controlled release system with acid cleavable linkage was developed to fabricate an electrochemical immunosensor for the quantitative detection of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA). 3,9-Bis(3-aminopropyl)-2,4,8,10-tetraoxaspiro[5.5]undecane functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN-Acetal) were used to immobilize the electron mediator thionine (Th). The encapsulation of Th molecules was achieved by capping the pores of MSN-Acetal with carboxylic acid modified Au nanoparticles (defined as MSN-Th-Au). Under the acidic conditions, the capped Au nanoparticles were removed from MSN-Th-Au through the hydrolysis of the acid-labile acetal linker, resulting in the release of encapsulated Th. In this work, the pH-responsive cargo release system was firstly used as the label of secondary anti-PSA for developing an electrochemical immunosensor, and amination Fe3O4 was used as the sensing matrix for immobilizing primary anti-PSA on magnetic carbon electrode surfaces. The specific recognition of PSA resulted in the attachment of MSN-Th-Au-secondary anti-PSA (MSN-Th-Au-Ab2) onto the electrode surfaces. Subsequently, the released Th was detected by differential pulse voltammetry under the acidic conditions. The developed cargo release system provided an innovative and reliable method for the detection of PSA because the response signal was correlated with the concentration of PSA. Under the optimal conditions, the electrochemical immunosensor exhibited a wide linear range of 0.001-5.0ng/mL with a low detection limit of 0.31pg/mL. Moreover, the developed immunosensor showed superior reproducibility and long-term stability, which has promising applications in bioassay and biosensing.