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Sandwich electrochemical thrombin assay using a glassy carbon electrode modified with nitrogen- and sulfur-doped graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles

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Abstract

Graphene oxide doped with nitrogen and sulfur was decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNP-SN-GO) and applied as a substrate to modify a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). An aptamer against the model protein thrombin was self-assembled on the modified GCE which then was exposed to thrombin. Following aptamer-thrombin interaction, biotin-labeled DNA and aptamer 2 are immobilized on another AuNP-SN-GO hybrid and then are reacted with the thrombin/AuNP-SN-GO/GCE to form a sandwich. The enzyme label horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was then attached to the electrode by biotin–avidin interaction. HRP catalyzes the oxidation of hydroquinone by hydrogen peroxide. This generates a strong electrochemical signal that increases linearly with the logarithm of thrombin concentration in the range from 1.0 × 10−13 M to 1.0 × 10−8 M with a detection limit of 2.5 × 10−14 M (S/N = 3). The assay is highly selective. It provides a promising strategy for signal amplification. In our perception, it has a large potential for sensitive and selective detection of analytes for which appropriate aptamers are available.

A sandwich-type electrochemical aptasensor is fabricated for detection of thrombin using a glassy carbon electrode modified with nitrogen- and sulfur-doped graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61301037), the Henan Science and Technology Cooperation Project (Grant No. 172106000014), the Cultivation Plan for Young Core Teachers in Universities of Henan Province (No. 2017GGJS072) and the Youth Backbone Teacher Training Program of Henan University of Technology.

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  1. School of Food Science and Technology, Henan Key Laboratory of Cereal and Oil Food Safety Inspection and Control, Henan University of Technology, Lianhua Road 100#, Zhengzhou High & New Technology Industries Development Zone, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan Province, People’s Republic of China

    Baoshan He

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He, B. Sandwich electrochemical thrombin assay using a glassy carbon electrode modified with nitrogen- and sulfur-doped graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles. Microchim Acta 185, 344 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-018-2872-9

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