Biofunctionalized carbon nanocomposites: New-generation diagnostic tools

2D phosphorene nanosheets, quantum dots, nanoribbons: synthesis and biomedical applications

Phosphorene, also known as black phosphorus (BP), is a two-dimensional (2D) material that has gained significant attention in several areas of current research. Its unique properties such as outstanding surface activity, an adjustable bandgap width, favorable on/off current ratios, infrared-light responsiveness, good biocompatibility, and fast biodegradation differentiate this material from other two-dimensional materials. The application of BP in the biomedical field has been rapidly emerging over the past few years. This article aimed to provide a comprehensive review of the recent progress on the unique properties and extensive medical applications for BP in bone, nerve, skin, kidney, cancer, and biosensing related treatment. The details of applications of BP in these fields were summarized and discussed.

Nanostructured aptamer-based sensing platform for highly sensitive recognition of myoglobin

A composite was prepared from PtSn nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes (PtSnNP/CNTs) and applied to the electrochemical determination of myoglobin (Mb). An Mb-aptamer was immobilized on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), and hexcyanoferrate was used as an electrochemical probe. The PtSnNP/CNTs were synthesized by a microwave-aided ethylene glycol reduction method. Detection is based on electron transfer inhibition that is caused by the folding and conformational change of the Mb-aptamer in the presence of Mb. The amperometric signal for hexacyanoferrate, best measured at 0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl depends on the concentration of Mb that interacts with the aptamer on the GCE. This approach is selective and sensitive for Mb due to (a) the highly specific recognition ability of the aptamer for Mb, (b) the powerful electronic properties of carbon nanotubes, (c) the arranged decoration of CNTs with PtSnNPs, and (d), the superior electron transfer to hexacyanoferrate. The assay is highly selective, with linear relationships from 0.01-1 nM and 10 nM-200 nM, and a limit of detection as low as 2.2 ± 0.1 pM. The modified GCE was applied to the quantitation of Mb in spiked human serum samples. Graphical abstract Schematic illustration of the method for Mb detection.

Highly sensitive biosensors based on all-dielectric nanoresonators

Biosensing based on nanophotonic structures has shown a great potential for cost-efficient, high-speed and compact personal medical diagnostics. While plasmonic nanosensors offer high sensitivity, their intrinsically restricted resonance quality factors and strong heating due to metal absorption impose severe limitations on real life applications. Here, we demonstrate an all-dielectric sensing platform based on silicon nanodisks with strong optically-induced magnetic resonances, which are able to detect a concentration of streptavidin of as low as 10^-10 M (mol L^-1) or 5 ng mL^-1, thus pushing the current detection limit by at least two orders of magnitudes. Our study suggests a new direction in biosensing based on bio-compatible, non-toxic, robust and low-loss dielectric nanoresonators with potential applications in medicine, including disease diagnosis and drug detection.

Polyion oligonucleotide-decorated gold nanoparticles with tunable surface charge density for amplified signal output of potentiometric immunosensor

Methods based on nanostructures have been developed for potentiometric immunosensors, but most involve low sensitivity or weak signal output and are unsuitable for routine use in diagnosis. Herein, we devise an in-situ signal-amplification strategy for enhanced electrical readout of potentiometric immunosensor toward target prostate-specific antigen (PSA, one kind of cancer biomarkers), based on polyion oligonucleotide-labeled gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). To decrease the background signal, monoclonal anti-human PSA capture antibody was covalently conjugated onto an activated glassy carbon electrode via typical carbodiimide coupling. AuNPs heavily functionalized with the polyion oligonucleotides and polyclonal anti-PSA detection antibodies (pAb₂-AuNP-DNA) were utilized as the signal-generation nanotags. In the presence of target PSA, a sandwich-type immunoreaction was executed between capture antibody and detection antibody on the electrode. The detectable signal derived from the shift in the electric potential as a result of the change in the surface charge before and after the antigen-antibody reaction. With target PSA increased, the captured pAb₂-AuNP-DNA to the electrode accompanying detection antibody increased, thereby resulting in the change of the electrode potential. Due to numerous polyion oligonucleotides with the negative charge, the signal readout amplified. Under the optimal conditions, the shift in the output potential was proportional to the logarithm of target PSA concentration and displayed a dynamic linear range from 0.05 to 20 ng mL^-1 with a detection limit of 13.6 pg mL^-1. An intermediate precision of ≤13.2% was accomplished with the batch-to-batch identification. The selectivity was acceptable. The method accuracy was evaluated for human serum specimens, and gave the consistent results between the potentiometric immunosensor and the referenced enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Nanostructured Aptamer-Functionalized Black Phosphorus Sensing Platform for Label-Free Detection of Myoglobin, a Cardiovascular Disease Biomarker

We report the electrochemical detection of the redox active cardiac biomarker myoglobin (Mb) using aptamer-functionalized black phosphorus nanostructured electrodes by measuring direct electron transfer. The as-synthesized few-layer black phosphorus nanosheets have been functionalized with poly-l-lysine (PLL) to facilitate binding with generated anti-Mb DNA aptamers on nanostructured electrodes. This aptasensor platform has a record-low detection limit (∼0.524 pg mL(-1)) and sensitivity (36 μA pg(-1) mL cm(-2)) toward Mb with a dynamic response range from 1 pg mL(-1) to 16 μg mL(-1) for Mb in serum samples. This strategy opens up avenues to bedside technologies for multiplexed diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases in complex human samples.

Terbium ion-coordinated carbon dots for fluorescent aptasensing of adenosine 5'-triphosphate with unmodified gold nanoparticles

This work reports on a novel time-resolved fluorescent aptasensing platform for the quantitative monitoring of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) by interaction of dispersive/agglomerate gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with terbium ion-coordinated carbon dots (Tb-CDs). To construct such a fluorescent nanoprobe, Tb-CDs with high-efficient fluorescent intensity are first synthesized by the microwave method with terbium ions (Tb(3+)). The aptasensing system consists of ATP aptamer, AuNP and Tb-CD. The dispersive/agglomerate gold nanoparticles are acquired through the reaction of the aptamer with target ATP. Upon target ATP introduction, the aptamers bind with the analytes to form new aptamer-ATP complexes and coat on the surface of AuNPs to inhibit their aggregation in the high salt solution. In this case, the fluorescent signal of Tb-CDs is quenched by the dispersive AuNPs on the basis of the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). At the absence of target analyte, gold nanoparticles tend to aggregate in the high salt state even if the aptamers are present. Thus, the added Tb-CDs maintain their intrinsic fluorescent intensity. Experimental results indicated that the aptasensing system exhibited good fluorescent responses toward ATP in the dynamic range from 40nM to 4.0μM with a detection limit of 8.5nM at 3sblank criterion. The repeatability and intermediate precision is less than 9.5% at three concentrations including 0.04, 0.4 and 2.0μM ATP. The selectivity was acceptable toward guanosine 5'-triphosphate, uridine 5'-triphosphate and cytidine 5'-triphosphate. The methodology was applied to evaluate the blank human serum spiked with target ATP, and the recoveries (at 3 concentration levels) ranged between 97.0% and 103.7%. Importantly, this detection scheme is rapid, simple, cost-effective, and does not require extensive sample preparation or separation.