Xinjian Huang

An enhanced sensitive electrochemical immunosensor based on efficient encapsulation of enzyme in silica matrix for the detection of human immunodeficiency virus p24

We report a new electrochemical immunosensor for enhanced sensitive detection of human immunodeficiency virus p24 (HIV-p24) based on graphene oxide (GO) as a nanocarrier and enzyme encapsulated in carbon nanotubes-silica as a matrix in a multienzyme amplification strategy. Greatly enhanced sensitivity was achieved by using the bioconjugates featuring horseradish peroxidase-HIV-p24 signal antibody (HRP-HIV-p24) linked to functionalized GO and thionine (TH) as well as efficient encapsulation of enzyme (HRP) in the silica matrix with retained bioactivity. After a sandwich immunoreactions, the HRP in carbon nanotubes-silica matrix and the HRP-HIV-p24-TH/GO captured onto the electrode surface produced an amplified electrocatalytic response by the reduction of enzymatically oxidized thionine in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The increase of response current was proportional to the HIV-p24 concentration in the range of 0.5 pg/mL-8.5 ng/mL with the detection limit of 0.15 pg/mL, which was lower than that of the traditional sandwich electrochemical measurement for HIV-p24. The amplified immunoassay developed in this work shows acceptable stability and reproducibility, and the assay results for HIV-p24 spiked in human plasma also show good accuracy. This simple and low-cost immunosensor shows great promise for detection of other proteins and clinical applications.

Simple approach for ultrasensitive electrochemical immunoassay of Clostridium difficile toxin B detection

Clostridium difficile toxin B (Tcd B), as one of the primary contributing factors to the pathogenesis of C. difficile-associated diseases, has raised serious public concerns due to its virulence, spore-forming ability and persistence with major types of infectious diarrhea diseases, and been used as a potential biomarker in clinical diagnoses. Thus, a simple method for the determination of Tcd B was developed based on a sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor. Greatly enhanced sensitivity was achieved based on fabricating the immunosensor by layer-by-layer coating carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), Prussian blue (PB), Chitosan (CS), Glutaraldehyde (GA) composite on the working electrode as well as using graphene oxide (GO) as a nanocarrier in a multienzyme amplification strategy. In comparison with conventional methods, the proposed immunoassay exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of Tcd B, providing a better linear response range from 0.003 to 320 ng/mL and a lower limit of detection (LOD) of 0.7 pg/mL (S/N=3) under optimal experimental conditions. The immunosensor exhibited convenience, low cost, rapidity, good specificity, acceptable stability and reproducibility. Moreover, satisfactory results were obtained for the determination of Tcd B in real human stool samples, indicating that the developed immunoassay has the potential to find application in clinical detection of Tcd B and other tumor markers as an alternative approach.

Metallic nanocrystallites-incorporated ordered mesoporous carbon as labels for a sensitive simultaneous multianalyte electrochemical immunoassay

This work reports on a facile, novel multianalyte electrochemical immunoassay for simultaneous detection of a-fetoprotein (AFP) and human epidermal growth factor receptor type-2 (HER-2) using metal-containing nanomaterials confined in the ordered mesoporous carbon matrix (OMC-M) as labels. Well-dispersed uniform metallic nanocrystallites incorporated OMC materials were fabricated through a simple, economical, and green preparative strategy toward phenolic resol as a carbon source and metal nitrate as metal sources. The large amount of metallic nanocrystallites loading on the OMC nanomaterials, greatly amplified the detection signals, and the good biocompatibility of carbon nanotubes-chitosan retained excellent stability for the sandwich-type immunoassay. Under optimal experimental conditions, the proposed immunoassay exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of analytes, providing a better linear response range from 0.001 to 150 ng/mL for AFP and for HER-2, with a lower limit of detectionof 0.6p g/mL and 0.35 pg/mL (S/N=3), respectively. The immunosensor exhibited convenience, low cost, rapidity, good specificity, acceptable stability and reproducibility. Moreover, satisfactory results were obtained for the determination of AFP and HER-2 in real human serum samples, indicating that the developed immunoassay has the potential to find application in clinical detection of AFP and HER-2 and other tumor markers as an alternative approach.

A Snapshot of the Properties of Single Nanoparticles at the Moment of a Collision

Direct electrochemical characterization of freely moving nanoparticles (NPs) at the individual particle level is challenging. A method is presented that can achieve this goal based on the collision between a NP and an ultramicroelectrode (UME). By applying a sinusoidal potential to the UME and monitoring the current response in the frequency domain, a sudden change in the phase angle indicates the arrival of a NP at the UME. The response induced by the collision can be isolated and used to explore the properties of the NP. This method, analogous to a high-speed camera, can obtain a snapshot of the properties of the single NP at the moment of a collision. The proposed method was employed to investigate the properties of both the hard catalytic Pt NP and soft electroactive emulsion droplets, and many new insights were revealed thereafter. The method also has the potential to be applied in many other fields, where the interested signals appear as discrete events.

Single Organic Droplet Collision Voltammogram via Electron Transfer Coupled Ion Transfer

Single-emulsion toluene oil droplets (femtoliter) containing a hydrophobic redox probe that are dispersed in water stochastically collide with an ultramicroelectrode (UME). The fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) or Fourier-transformed sinusoidal voltammetry (FTSV) is applied: the UME was scanned with a fast, repetitive triangular, or sinusoidal potential, and its current in time/frequency domains were monitored. The electron transfer at the UME/oil interface is coupled with ion transfer at the oil/water interface. Thus, the obtained transient voltammograms of a myriad of ions were used to estimate thermodynamics of ion transfer at the toluene/water interface. Additionally, the single-droplet voltammogram combined with finite element simulations reveal the droplets size and shape distributions. Four collision mechanisms with new physical insights were also uncovered via comprehensive analysis of phase angle in the frequency domain, time domain FSCVs, and finite element simulations.

Effect of forced convection on the collision and interaction between nanoparticles and ultramicroelectrode.

Detection of nanoparticle (NP) collision events at ultramicroelectrode (UME) has emerged as a new methodology for the investigation of single NP in recent years. Although the method was widely employed, some fundamental knowledge such as how the NP moves to and interacts with the UME remain less understood. It was generally recognized that the recorded rate of collision was determined by diffusion that should follow Ficks first law. However, significant lower collision frequency compared with that of predicted by theory were frequently reported. Experiments carried out by us suggest that the collision frequency will increase dramatically if forced convection (stir or flow injection) is applied during detection. Furthermore, the collision frequency gradually increases to a maximum and then decreases, along with the increase of the convection intensity. This phenomenon is interpreted as follows: (a) there are two steps for a freely moving NP to generate a detectable collision signal. The first step is the move of NP from bulk solution to the surface of the UME which is mass transfer limited; the second step is the landing of NP on the surface of UME which is affected by many factors and is the critical step; (b) there is a barrier that must be overcame before the contact between freely moving NP and UME. Forced convection with moderate intensity can not only increase the mass transfer rate but also help to overcome this barrier and thus enhance the collision frequency; (c) the landing of NP on the surface of UME can be suppressed by stronger convections, because NP will be swept away by hydrodynamic force.

Approach for Discrimination and Quantification of Electroactive Species: Kinetics Difference Revealed by Higher Harmonics of Fourier Transformed Sinusoidal Voltammetry

Discrimination and quantification of electroactive species are traditionally realized by a potential difference which is mainly determined by thermodynamics. However, the resolution of this approach is limited to tens of millivolts. In this paper, we described an application of Fourier transformed sinusoidal voltammetry (FT-SV) that provides a new approach for discrimination and quantitative evaluation of electroactive species, especially thermodynamic similar ones. Numerical simulation indicates that electron transfer kinetics difference between electroactive species can be revealed by the phase angle of higher order harmonics of FT-SV, and the difference can be amplified order by order. Thus, even a very subtle kinetics difference can be amplified to be distinguishable at a certain order of harmonics. This method was verified with structurally similar ferrocene derivatives which were chosen as the model systems. Although these molecules have very close redox potential (<10 mV), discrimination and selective detection were achieved by as high as the thirteenth harmonics. The results demonstrated the feasibility and reliability of the method. It was also implied that the combination of the traditional thermodynamic method and this kinetics method can form a two-dimension resolved detection method, and it has the potential to extend the resolution of voltammetric techniques to a new level.

A Novel Electrochemiluminescence Sensor Based on Titanate Nanotubes with Excellent Adsorption Capability Towards Ru(bpy)3 2

A novel electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensor based on titanate nanotubes (TNTs)/tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) ( )/Nafion Composite film-modified on glass carbon electrode was developed. Favorable electrochemical activities and excellent ECL emission stability were obtained as TNTs have very strong and stable adsorption toward . The stability of the sensor was further enhanced by the employment of Nafion during the process of composite synthesis rather than electrode modification. As a consequence, the proposed sensor fabrication approach was simpler, faster, and especially more economical for reagent use, compared with some conventional methods.