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Sensitive electrochemical determination of α-fetoprotein using a glassy carbon electrode modified with in-situ grown gold nanoparticles, graphene oxide and MWCNTs acting as signal amplifiers

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Abstract

The authors describe an electrochemical immunoassay for α-fetoprotein (α-FP) using a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a nanocomposite made from gold nanoparticles, graphene oxide and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (AuNPs/GO-MWCNTs) and acting as a signal amplification matrix. The nanocomposite was synthesized in a one-pot redox reaction between GO and HAuCl4 without using an additional reductant. The stepwise assembly of the immunoelectrode was characterized by means of cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The interaction of antigen and antibody on the surface of the electrode creates a barrier for electrons and causes retarded electron transfer, this resulting in decreased signals in differential pulse voltammetry of hexacyanoferrate which is added as an electrochemical probe. Using this strategy and by working at a potential of 0.2 V (vs. SCE), a wide analytical range (0.01 - 100 ng∙mL‾1) is covered. The correlation coefficient is 0.9929, and the limit of detection is as low as 3 pg∙mL‾1 at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. This electrochemical immunoassay combines the specificity of an immunological detection scheme with the sensitivity of an electrode modified with AuNPs and GO-MWCNTs.

Schematic illustration of the fabrication procedure of the immunosensor

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number: 51302117, 51303073, 51463008), Ganpo Outstanding Talents 555 projects (2013), the Training Plan for the Main Subject of Academic Leaders of Jiangxi Province (2011), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (grant number: 20142BAB206028 and 20142BAB216029), Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education (GJJ11590, GJJ13258), Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China (2014 M551857), Postdoctoral Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (2014KY14) and the Science and Technology Landing Plan of Universities in Jiangxi province (KJLD12081) for their financial support of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013, People’s Republic of China

    Yan-Sha Gao, Xiao-Fei Zhu, Tao-Tao Yang, Jing-Kun Xu & Kai-Xin Zhang

  2. College of Science, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, People’s Republic of China

    Yan-Sha Gao & Li-Min Lu

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  1. Yan-Sha Gao
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  2. Xiao-Fei Zhu
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  3. Tao-Tao Yang
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  4. Jing-Kun Xu
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Correspondence to Jing-Kun Xu or Li-Min Lu.

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Gao, YS., Zhu, XF., Yang, TT. et al. Sensitive electrochemical determination of α-fetoprotein using a glassy carbon electrode modified with in-situ grown gold nanoparticles, graphene oxide and MWCNTs acting as signal amplifiers. Microchim Acta 182, 2027–2035 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-015-1537-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-015-1537-1

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