Ning Gan

A Disposable Organophosphorus Pesticides Enzyme Biosensor Based on Magnetic Composite Nano-Particles Modified Screen Printed Carbon Electrode

A disposable organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) enzyme biosensor based on magnetic composite nanoparticle-modified screen printed carbon electrodes (SPCE) has been developed. Firstly, an acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-coated Fe3O4/Au (GMP) magnetic nanoparticulate (GMP-AChE) was synthesized. Then, GMP-AChE was absorbed on the surface of a SPCE modified by carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/nano-ZrO2/prussian blue (PB)/Nafion (Nf) composite membrane by an external magnetic field. Thus, the biosensor (SPCE│CNTs/ZrO2/PB/Nf│GMP-AChE) for OPs was fabricated. The surface of the biosensor was characterized by scanning electron micrography (SEM) and X-ray fluorescence spectrometery (XRFS) and its electrochemical properties were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The degree of inhibition (A%) of the AChE by OPs was determined by measuring the reduction current of the PB generated by the AChE-catalyzed hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine (ATCh). In pH = 7.5 KNO3 solution, the A was related linearly to the concentration of dimethoate in the range from 1.0 × 10−3–10 ng·mL−1 with a detection limit of 5.6 × 10−4 ng·mL−1. The recovery rates in Chinese cabbage exhibited a range of 88%–105%. The results were consistent with the standard gas chromatography (GC) method. Compared with other enzyme biosensors the proposed biosensor exhibited high sensitivity, good selectivity with disposable, low consumption of sample. In particular its surface can be easily renewed by removal of the magnet. The convenient, fast and sensitive voltammetric measurement opens new opportunities for OPs analysis.

An automated solid-phase microextraction method based on magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer as fiber coating for detection of trace estrogens in milk powder

A new automated solid-phase micro extraction (SPME) sampling method was developed for quantitative enrichment of estrogens (ES) from milk powder, using magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (MMIP) as fiber coating. The method (MMIP-SPME) was built with several electromagnetic stainless steel fibers, placed in parallel for simultaneously extraction. The MMIP was synthesized using core-shell Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) as magnetic support. Estradiol (E2) was employed as the template molecule, acrylamide (AA) as functional monomer, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as cross-linker. MMIP can be easily absorbed or desorbed from fibers when the current is turned on or off, creating magnetism. Compared to traditional MIP-SPME, the prepared procedure of MMIP-SPME is time-saving and organic solvent-free. The proposed device significantly improved the efficiency of separation and enrichment of estrogens from complex matrices thereby and facilitating the pretreatment steps by electromagnetically controlled extraction fibers to achieve full automation. Several experimental parameters were studied, including extraction and desorption kinetics, solution pH, desorption solution, ratio, and shuttle rate. The newly developed MMIP-SPME showed good sensitivity and high binding capacity, fast adsorption kinetics and desorption kinetics for estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), estriol (E3) and diethylstilbestrol (DES) under optimized conditions. The detection limits for the four estrogens were 1.5-5.5ngg(-1) with excellent reproducibility (RSD values less than 7.1%) when milk powder samples spiked with analytes at 20, 100 and 250ngg(-1) were studied.

The sandwich-type electrochemiluminescence immunosensor for α-fetoprotein based on enrichment by Fe3O4-Au magnetic nano probes and signal amplification by CdS-Au composite nanoparticles labeled anti-AFP

A novel and sensitive sandwich-type electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor was fabricated on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for ultra trace levels of α-fetoprotein (AFP) based on sandwich immunoreaction strategy by enrichment using magnetic capture probes and quantum dots coated with Au shell (CdS-Au) as the signal tag. The capture probe was prepared by immobilizing the primary antibody of AFP (Ab1) on the core/shell Fe(3)O(4)-Au nanoparticles, which was first employed to capture AFP antigens to form Fe(3)O(4)-Au/Ab1/AFP complex from the serum after incubation. The product can be separated from the background solution through the magnetic separation. Then the CdS-Au labeled secondary antibody (Ab2) as signal tag (CdS-Au/Ab2) was conjugated successfully with Fe(3)O(4)-Au/Ab1/AFP complex to form a sandwich-type immunocomplex (Fe(3)O(4)-Au/Ab1/AFP/Ab2/CdS-Au), which can be further separated by an external magnetic field and produce ECL signals at a fixed voltage. The signal was proportional to a certain concentration range of AFP for quantification. Thus, an easy-to-use immunosensor with magnetic probes and a quantum dots signal tag was obtained. The immunosensor performed at a level of high sensitivity and a broad concentration range for AFP between 0.0005 and 5.0 ng mL(-1) with a detection limit of 0.2 pg mL(-1). The use of magnetic probes was combined with pre-concentration and separation for trace levels of tumor markers in the serum. Due to the amplification of the signal tag, the immunosensor is highly sensitive, which can offer great promise for rapid, simple, selective and cost-effective detection of effective biomonitoring for clinical application.

Development of a novel magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer coating using porous zeolite imidazolate framework-8 coated magnetic iron oxide as carrier for automated solid phase microextraction of estrogens in fish and pork samples

A high-performance magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) coating using zeolite imidazolate framework-8 coated magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4@ZIF-8) as a carrier was developed for simultaneous automated solid phase microextraction of four estrogens in 24 food samples. The coating material, abbreviated as MZMIP, was synthesized through time-efficient layer-by-layer assembling of ZIF-8 and MIP film on Fe3O4 particles. It was characterized and automatically coated on the surface of SPME fibers by electromagnetic bonding. The extraction performance, reusability, repeatability, and validity of the MZMIP-SPME system was evaluated for high-throughput analysis of estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and ethinylestradiol (EE2). Various factors affecting the quality of MZMIP coating were optimized. Compared with traditional magnetic MIP coating based on Fe3O4@SiO2 carrier, the MZMIP coating exhibited high extraction capacity and quick adsorption and desorption kinetics to E1, E2, E3, and EE2 owing to the larger amount of imprinting sites in MZMIP. Under optimum conditions, the proposed system requires only 25min for pretreatment of all 24 samples (62.5s per sample). The limits of detection and quantitation of the proposed automated system for analysis were found to range from 0.4 to 1.7 and 1.1 to 6.2ngg(-1), respectively. During analysis of spiked fish and pork, the new coating showed better recovery and selectivity compared with Fe3O4@SiO2@MIP (MMIP) and commercially available SPME. The results indicated that the MZMIP coating could be effectively employed for pretreatment of ultra-trace level of estrogens in food.

A cost-effective sandwich electrochemiluminescence immunosensor for ultrasensitive detection of HIV-1 antibody using magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers as capture probes

In this report, a rapid and cost-effective sandwich electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor was constructed for the ultrasensitive detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 antibody (anti-HIV-1) using magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) as capture probes by combining surface and epitope imprinting techniques and antigen conjugated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP-HIV-1) as labels. First, 3-aminobenzeneboronic acid (APBA) was used as the functional monomer and cross-linking reagent, which was polymerized on the surface of silicate-coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2 NPs) in the presence of human immunoglobulin G (HIgG), as the template exhibiting the same Fc region but different Fab region to anti-HIV-1 after the addition of the initiator, ammonium persulfate. This process resulted in grafting a hydrophilic molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) film on the Fe3O4@SiO2 NPs. Thus, MMIPs, which could be reused after eluting the template, were used to recognize and enrich ultra-trace levels of anti-HIV-1. Subsequently, a novel sandwich ECL immunosensor was formed through the immunoreaction between MMIPs conjugated with varied concentrations of anti-HIV-1 and HRP-HIV-1. By the catalysis of HRP immobilized onto HRP-HIV-1 on the ECL system of Luminol-H2O2, a linear response range of the anti-HIV-1 dilution ratio (standard positive serum) was achieved from 1:20,000 to 1:50, with a detection limit of 1:60,000 (S/N=3). The developed method provides a low-cost, simple, and sensitive way for the early diagnosis of HIV infected patients.

An Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Immunosensor for HIV p24 Based on Fe3O4@SiO2 Nanomagnetic Probes and Nanogold Colloid-Labeled Enzyme–Antibody Copolymer as Signal Tag

An ultrasensitive portable electrochemical immunosensor for human immunodeficiency virus p24 (HIV p24) antigen detection has been developed, whereby the detection sensitivity was 1000 times higher than that of the ELISA method. Firstly, a novel HRP enzyme–antibody copolymer (EV-p24 Ab2) was synthesized through an EnVision regent (EV, a dextrin amine skeleton anchoring more than 100 molecules of HRP and 15 molecules of anti IgG), then incubated in the secondary antibody of p24. Secondly, the copolymer was immobilized on the gold nanocolloids (AuNPs) to fabricate a novel signal tag (AuNPs/EV-p24 Ab2). Subsequently, a sandwich-type immunoreaction would take place between the capture probe (silicon dioxide-coated magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MNPs) labeled with the primary p24 antibody (MNPs-p24 Ab1)), p24 (different concentrations) and the signal tag [AuNPs/EV-p24 Ab2)] to form the immunocomplex. Finally, the immunocomplex was absorbed on the surface of screen printed carbon electrode (SPCE) by a magnet and immersed in the o-hydroxyl phenol (HQ) and H2O2. The large amounts of HRP on the signal tag can catalyze the oxidation of HQ by H2O2, which can induce an amplified reductive current. Moreover, the capture probe could improve the accumulation ability of p24 and facilitate its separation from the substrate through the magnet. Under optimal conditions, the proposed immunoassay exhibited good sensitivity to p24 within a certain concentration range from 0.001 to 10.00 ng/mL, with a detection limit of 0.5 pg/mL (S/N = 3). The proposed method can be used for real-time and early detection of HIV-infected people.

A Sandwich HIV p24 Amperometric Immunosensor Based on a Direct Gold Electroplating-Modified Electrode

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a severe communicable immune deficiency disease caused by the human immune deficiency virus (HIV). The analysis laboratory diagnosis of HIV infection is a crucial aspect of controlling AIDS. The p24 antigen, the HIV-1 capsid protein, is of considerable diagnostic interest because it is detectable several days earlier than host-generated HIV antibodies following HIV exposure. We present herein a new sandwich HIV p24 immunosensor based on directly electroplating an electrode surface with gold nanoparticles using chronoamperometry, which greatly increased the conductivity and reversibility of the electrode. Under optimum conditions, the electrochemical signal showed a linear relationship with the concentration of p24, ranging from 0.01 ng/mL to 100 ng/mL (R > 0.99), and the detection limit was 0.008 ng/mL. Compared with ELISA, this method increased the sensitivity by more than two orders of magnitude (the sensitivity of ELISA for p24 is about 1 ng/mL). This immunosensor may be broadly applied to clinical samples, being distinguished by its ease of use, mild reaction conditions, guaranteed reproducibility, and good anti-interference ability.

Electrochemical Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for α-Fetoprotein Based on Glucose Detection with Multienzyme-Nanoparticle Amplification

Since glucose biosensors are one of the most popular and widely used point-of-care testing devices, a novel electrochemical enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for protein biomarkers has been developed based on a glucose detection strategy. In this study, α-fetoprotein (AFP) was used as the target protein. An electrochemical ELISA system was constructed using anti-AFP antibodies immobilized on microwell plates as the capture antibody (Ab1) and multi-label bioconjugates as signal tracer. The bioconjugates were synthesized by attaching glucoamylase and the secondary anti-AFP antibodies (Ab2) to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). After formation of the sandwich complex, the Ab2-glucoamylase-AuNPs conjugates converted starch into glucose in the presence of AFP. The concentration of AFP can be calculated based on the linear relation between AFP and glucose, the concentration of which can be detected by the glucose biosensor. When the AFP concentration ranged from 0.05 to 100 ng/mL, a linear calibration plot (i (µA) = 13.62033 − 2.86252 logCAFP (ng/mL), r = 0.99886) with a detection limit of 0.02 ng/mL was obtained under optimal conditions. The electrochemical ELISA developed in this work shows acceptable stability and reproducibility, and the assay for AFP spiked in human serum also shows good recovery (97.0%–104%). This new method could be applied for detecting any protein biomarker with the corresponding antibodies.

Fe3O4/Au magnetic nanoparticle amplification strategies for ultrasensitive electrochemical immunoassay of alfa-fetoprotein

Background The purpose of this study was to devise a novel electrochemical immunosensor for ultrasensitive detection of alfa-fetoprotein based on Fe3O4/Au nanoparticles as a carrier using a multienzyme amplification strategy. Methods and results Greatly enhanced sensitivity was achieved using bioconjugates containing horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and a secondary antibody (Ab2) linked to Fe3O4/Au nanoparticles (Fe3O4/Au-HRP-Ab2) at a high HRP/Ab2 ratio. After a sandwich immunoreaction, the Fe3O4/Au-HRP-Ab2 captured on the electrode surface produced an amplified electrocatalytic response by reduction of enzymatically oxidized hydroquinone in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The high content of HRP in the Fe3O4/Au-HRP-Ab2 could greatly amplify the electrochemical signal. Under optimal conditions, the reduction current increased with increasing alfa-fetoprotein concentration in the sample, and exhibited a dynamic range of 0.005–10 ng/mL with a detection limit of 3 pg/mL. Conclusion The amplified immunoassay developed in this work shows good precision, acceptable stability, and reproducibility, and can be used for detection of alfa-fetoprotein in real samples, so provides a potential alternative tool for detection of protein in the laboratory. Furthermore, this immunosensor could be regenerated by simply using an external magnetic field.

Multi-walled carbon nanotube modified dummy-template magnetic molecularly imprinted microspheres as solid-phase extraction material for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in fish.

Novel multi-walled carbon nanotube modified dummy-template molecularly imprinted microspheres (MWCNTs@DMMIPs) were successfully synthesized as adsorbents for six kinds of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). MWCNTs@DMMIPs were prepared by a surface molecular imprinting technique. Core-shell Fe3 O4 @SiO2 nanoparticles were employed as magnetic support. 3,4-Dichlorobenzene acetic acid was used as a dummy template instead of PCBs, methacrylic acid was used as functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate was used as the cross-linker. The resulting absorbent was characterized by various methods. The adsorbent was employed for extracting PCBs and exhibited good selectivity and high adsorption efficiency. Furthermore, it was reusable and capable of magnetic separation. Adsorption kinetics fit well with a pseudo-second-order kinetic equation and also exhibited a three-stage intra-particle diffusion model. The Freundlich model was used to describe the adsorption isotherms. The materials were successfully applied to the magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction of six kinds of PCBs followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry determination in fish samples, the limit of detection of six kinds of PCBs were 0.0028-0.0068 μg/L and spiked recoveries ranged between 73.41 and 114.21%. The prepared adsorbent was expected to be a new material for the removal and recovery of PCBs from contaminated foods.