A novel reagentless amperometric immunosensor based on gold nanoparticles/TMB/Nafion-modified electrode

Bioinspired porous three-coordinated single-atom Fe nanozyme with oxidase-like activity for tumor visual identification via glutathione

Inspired by structures of natural metalloenzymes, a biomimetic synthetic strategy is developed for scalable synthesis of porous Fe-N3 single atom nanozymes (pFeSAN) using hemoglobin as Fe-source and template. pFeSAN delivers 3.3- and 8791-fold higher oxidase-like activity than Fe-N4 and Fe3O4 nanozymes. The high catalytic performance is attributed to (1) the suppressed aggregation of atomically dispersed Fe; (2) facilitated mass transfer and maximized exposure of active sites for the created mesopores by thermal removal of hemoglobin (2 ~ 3 nm); and (3) unique electronic configuration of Fe-N3 for the oxygen-to-water oxidation pathway (analogy with natural cytochrome c oxidase). The pFeSAN is successfully demonstrated for the rapid colorimetric detection of glutathione with a low limit of detection (2.4 nM) and wide range (50 nM-1 mM), and further developed as a real-time, facile, rapid (~6 min) and precise visualization analysis methodology of tumors via glutathione level, showing its potentials for diagnostic and clinic applications.

Bimetallic Cu-Zn Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks as Peroxidase Mimics for the Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide: Electrochemical and Spectrophotometric Evaluation

A copper incorporated zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) has been synthesized and demonstrated to be a potential material for a peroxidase mimic. The resultant bimetallic Cu-Zn incorporated MOF is used for the dual mode sensing of hydrogen peroxide by following electrochemical as well as spectrophotometric methods. Using 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) as a chromogenic substrate, spectrophotometric studies are carried out, and the steady state kinetic parameters are determined for two different concentrations of Cu incorporated ZIF-8 (viz Cu@ZIF-8-1 and Cu@ZIF-8-2). It is found that both Cu@ZIF-8-1 and Cu@ZIF-8-2 exhibit more affinity toward the TMB substrate than the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme as indicated by the low Km values obtained for the substrate. Also, as the concentration of incorporated Cu increases, Vmax values are also found to be enhanced. Electrochemically, the Cu@ZIF-8 modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) showed a good response for peroxide detection in the concentration range from 0.5 mM to 5 mM at a working potential of -0.25 V in PBS (pH 7.0) with a limit of detection (LOD) value of 0.46 mM and a sensitivity of 20.25 μA/mM. Further, the chromogenic substrate TMB is successfully immobilized on the electrode surface and subsequently used for the peroxide detection along with Cu@ZIF-8. Here, TMB acts as a mediator and shifted the working potential to 0.1 V in acetate buffer (pH 5.0) in the concentration range from 0.5 mM to 5 mM with an LOD value of 0.499 mM and a sensitivity of 0.097 μA/mM. Interestingly, the same electrode in PBS of pH 7.0 showed a response to peroxide at a working potential of -0.1 V in the concentration range from 0.5 mM to 5 mM with an LOD value of 0.143 mM and a sensitivity of 0.33 μA/mM. Moreover, the applicability of this material for peroxide sensing is evaluated using milk samples, and the proposed material is able to recover the peroxide present in milk. Thus, the bimetallic Cu-Zn MOF can be utilized for the dual mode sensing of peroxide and can be extended for various real time applications.

An impedimetric immunosensor based on chitosan-Au nanoparticles-reduced graphene oxide nanosheet composite modified PG electrode for detection of brain natriuretic peptide

An ultrasensitive impedimetric immunosensor was developed to detect brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) for early diagnosis of heart failure. To construct this immunosensor, anti-BNP antibodies were immobilized covalently onto nanocomposite of chitosan-Au nanoparticles and reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (CHIT-Au@rGONs) electrodeposited onto pencil graphite electrode. This approach impedes charge transfer resistance (Rct) value proportionally to the BNP captured by antigen-antibody interactions. The observed Rct values by this immunosensor, were correlated with linear concentrations of BNP in the range, 1 × 10-2 to 1 × 103 pg/mL, with a limit of detection of 12 pg/mL and limit of quantification of 36.3 pg/mL. The immunosensor detected BNP in spiked human sera. The analytic recovery of added BNP in human sera was 97.04%. The present method was fairly consistent with commercial approach. The working electrode was stored for 2 months in cold. BSA-IgG had no interference in the electrode activity showing its high specificity for BNP. This novel approach provided a new POC-diagnostics, as direct sample measurements are easier and more efficient by this immunosensor compared to existing immunosensors.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03704-x.

Ultrafast colorimetric detection of Cr(VI) based on competition of 8-HQ to Cr(VI) and TMB oxides using GO/AuNPs nanocomposites as peroxidase mimic

Rapid detection of ultra-trace heavy metal chromium is very important for ecological environment. Herein, a rapid colorimetric assay was constructed for detecting hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in environment water through the strong peroxidase mimicking activity of graphene oxide/gold nanoparticles (GO/AuNPs) nanocomposites and competition of Cr(VI) to 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) oxides and 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ). Cr(VI) could effectively prevent the reaction between 8-HQ and TMB oxides to restore the blue color of the system. The detection limit for Cr(VI) was as low as0.018 µM by spectroscopic absorption. Paper-based colorimetric analysis had the detection limit of0.153 µM. The high sensitivity was basically due to the strong peroxidase mimicking activity of GO/AuNPs nanocomposite from synergistic coupling action and the firm chelation between 8-HQ and Cr(VI) from inner-sphere surface complexation. The detection results for real water sample showed that the analysis had feasibility in practical application. It is worth mentioning that the assay is performed by one-step mixing mode at room temperature, and a single test can be completed in half a minute. Indeed, this work not only provided an extremely easy method for real-time detecting Cr(VI) in the environment, but also verified the vitality of colorimetric strategy based on the strong peroxidase mimicking activity and competitive reaction.

Rapid color-fading colorimetric sensing of Hg in environmental samples: regulation mechanism from DNA dimension

It was found that dimension change of aptamer DNA significantly weakened the mimicking activity of gold nanozyme, which was contrary to previous research. Based on this, a rapid colorimetric method for the detection of low concentrations of mercury in environmental media was fabricated. It was observed that 40 nM Hg²⁺ causes color changes in solution. The detection limit of absorbance measurements was estimated to be 9.3 × 10^-11 M. The assay was fast and could complete a single test in half an hour. The detection results for real environment samples confirmed the reliability of the colorimetric analysis in practical application. The proposed assay provides an alternative method for real-time monitoring of mercury in the environment. In particular, the charge effect on the affinity of nanozyme consummated the DNA regulation mechanism for the simulated enzyme activity.

Determination of Cr(VI) based on the peroxidase mimetic catalytic activity of citrate-capped gold nanoparticles

Highly negatively charged gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are shown to have strong simulated oxidase activity and effectively boosted the oxidation of enzyme substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by hexavalent chromium ion Cr(VI), resulting in the formation of oxidation product with blue color. Based on this, a facile colorimetric assay was developed to detect Cr(VI) at a range 0.008~0.156 mg/L with r = 0.996. The detection limit was estimated to be 0.52 μg/L. In addition, the colorimetric assay showed high selectivity against 28 other interfering ions. It was performed at room temperature and required about half an hour including the preparation of AuNPs. The assay was successfully applied to the determination of Cr(VI) in spiked water samples, and recoveries in the range 95.00-105.40% were obtained. This work paves a way for design of high performance sensor based on highly active nanozymes and also provides an extremely practical analytical tool for the monitoring of Cr(VI) in the environment.

Nanoceria-Templated Metal Organic Frameworks with Oxidase-Mimicking Activity Boosted by Hexavalent Chromium

The high toxicity and mobility of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) allow it to easily spread and bioaccumulate, and its detection is a major part of environmental protection. In this work, an innovative method is developed for preparation of cerium oxide nanorod-templated metal-organic frameworks (CeO₂NRs-MOF). The in situ growth of MOF on the surface of CeO₂ nanorods (CeO₂NRs) enhances its oxidase-like activity. In the presence of a trace amount of Cr(VI), CeO₂NRs-MOF can significantly accelerate the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) due to Cr(VI)-boosted oxidation, resulting in a blue colored oxidation product. It can detect Cr(VI) over a range of 0.03-5 μM with high selectivity. Moreover, this method can be applied to the detection of Cr(VI) in different water environment samples with satisfactory recoveries, demonstrating the potential application of CeO₂NRs-MOF for the direct monitoring of Cr(VI) in environmental water systems. Thus, this work provides a facile host-templated MOF preparation method, which could possibly be extended to other fields.

All-printed highly sensitive 2D MoS2 based multi-reagent immunosensor for smartphone based point-of-care diagnosis

Immunosensors are used to detect the presence of certain bio-reagents mostly targeted at the diagnosis of a condition or a disease. Here, a general purpose electrical immunosensor has been fabricated for the quantitative detection of multiple bio-reagents through the formation of an antibody-antigen pair. The sensors were fabricated using all printing approaches. 2D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) MoS2 thin film was deposited using Electrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA) on top of an interdigitated transducer (IDT) electrode fabricated by reverse offset printing. The sensors were then treated with three different types of antibodies that were immobilized by physisorption into the highly porous multi-layered structure of MoS2 active layer. BSA was used as blocking agent to prevent non-specific absorption (NSA). The sensors were then employed for the targeted detection of the specific antigens including prostate specific antigen (PSA), mouse immunoglobulin-G (IgG), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB). IgG was then selected to test the sensors for point of care (POC) diagnosis through a specially designed electronic readout system for sensors and interfacing it with a smartphone using Bluetooth connection. The sensors showed promising performance in terms of stability, specificity, repeatability, sensitivity, limit of detection (LoD), and range of detection (RoD).

Label-free immunosensor based on one-step electrodeposition of chitosan-gold nanoparticles biocompatible film on Au microelectrode for determination of aflatoxin B1 in maize

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) embedded in chitosan (CHI) film, well-dispersed and smaller in size (about 10 nm), were fabricated by one-step electrodeposion on Au microelectrode in solution containing chitosan and chloride trihydrate. The nano-structure CHI-AuNPs composite film offers abundant amine groups, good conductivity, excellent biocompatibility and stability for antibody immobilization. The combination of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) with immobilized antibody introduces a barrier to electron transfer, resulting in current decreasement. The morphologies and characterizations of modified microelectrodes were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The proposed non-enzyme and label-free immunosensor exhibited high sensitive amperometric response to AFB1 concentration in two linear ranges of 0.1 to 1 ng mL(-1) and 1 to 30 ng mL(-1), with the detection limit of 0.06 ng mL(-1) (S/N=3). The immunoassay was also applied for analysis of maize samples spiked with AFB1. Considering the sample extraction procedure, the linear range and limit of detection were assessed to be 1.6-16 ng mL(-1) and 0.19 ng mL(-1) respectively. The simple method showed good fabrication controllability and reproducibility for immunosensor design.

Controllable gold nanoparticle deposition on carbon nanotubes and their application in immunosensing

A CNT–AuNPs hybrid nanocomposite platform was prepared from nanodisperse AuNPs in N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine (EDAS) sol–gel matrices with purified MWCNT.

Integration of biosensors and drug delivery technologies for early detection and chronic management of illness

Recent advances in biosensor design and sensing efficacy need to be amalgamated with research in responsive drug delivery systems for building superior health or illness regimes and ensuring good patient compliance. A variety of illnesses require continuous monitoring in order to have efficient illness intervention. Physicochemical changes in the body can signify the occurrence of an illness before it manifests. Even with the usage of sensors that allow diagnosis and prognosis of the illness, medical intervention still has its downfalls. Late detection of illness can reduce the efficacy of therapeutics. Furthermore, the conventional modes of treatment can cause side-effects such as tissue damage (chemotherapy and rhabdomyolysis) and induce other forms of illness (hepatotoxicity). The use of drug delivery systems enables the lowering of side-effects with subsequent improvement in patient compliance. Chronic illnesses require continuous monitoring and medical intervention for efficient treatment to be achieved. Therefore, designing a responsive system that will reciprocate to the physicochemical changes may offer superior therapeutic activity. In this respect, integration of biosensors and drug delivery is a proficient approach and requires designing an implantable system that has a closed loop system. This offers regulation of the changes by means of releasing a therapeutic agent whenever illness biomarkers prevail. Proper selection of biomarkers is vital as this is key for diagnosis and a stimulation factor for responsive drug delivery. By detecting an illness before it manifests by means of biomarkers levels, therapeutic dosing would relate to the severity of such changes. In this review various biosensors and drug delivery systems are discussed in order to assess the challenges and future perspectives of integrating biosensors and drug delivery systems for detection and management of chronic illness.

An amperometric immunosensor based on a polyelectrolyte/gold magnetic nanoparticle supramolecular assembly--modified electrode for the determination of HIV p24 in serum

A novel supramolecular amperometric immunosensor for the determination of Human Immunodeficiency Virus antigen p24 (HIV p24) was built up using the electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly technique upon a gold electrode with HIV p24 antibody (anti-p24) being immobilized on polyelectrolyte/gold nanoparticle multilayer films. The multilayer films were composed of poly(L-lysine) (pLys) and mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA) stabilized Fe₃O₄(core)/gold(shell) nano particles (GMPs).The immunosensor preparation steps were monitored by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRFS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In pH 6.5 PBS, after the immunosensor was incubated with HIV p24 solution at 25 °C for 5 min, the electron transfer access of FeCN is partially inhibited, which leads to a linear decrease of peak current. In addition, the performance of the immunosensor was studied in detail. It offers high-sensitivity for the detection of p24 and has good correlation for the detection of p24 in the range of 0.1 to 100.0 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.05 ng/mL estimated at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The proposed immunosensor was used to analyze p24 in human serum specimens and the results showed the developed immunosensor provides a promising alternative approach for detecting p24 in the early diagnosis of AIDS patients.

Prospects of nanotechnology in clinical immunodiagnostics

Nanostructured materials are promising compounds that offer new opportunities as sensing platforms for the detection of biomolecules. Having micrometer-scale length and nanometer-scale diameters, nanomaterials can be manipulated with current nanofabrication methods, as well as self-assembly techniques, to fabricate nanoscale bio-sensing devices. Nanostructured materials possess extraordinary physical, mechanical, electrical, thermal and multifunctional properties. Such unique properties advocate their use as biomimetic membranes to immobilize and modify biomolecules on the surface of nanoparticles. Alignment, uniform dispersion, selective growth and diameter control are general parameters which play critical roles in the successful integration of nanostructures for the fabrication of bioelectronic sensing devices. In this review, we focus on different types and aspects of nanomaterials, including their synthesis, properties, conjugation with biomolecules and their application in the construction of immunosensing devices. Some key results from each cited article are summarized by relating the concept and mechanism behind each sensor, experimental conditions and the behavior of the sensor under different conditions, etc. The variety of nanomaterial-based bioelectronic devices exhibiting novel functions proves the unique properties of nanomaterials in such sensing devices, which will surely continue to expand in the future. Such nanomaterial based devices are expected to have a major impact in clinical immunodiagnostics, environmental monitoring, security surveillance and for ensuring food safety.