Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An immunochromatography strip with peroxidase-mimicking ferric oxyhydroxide nanorods-mediated signal amplification and readout

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Microchimica Acta Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Immunochromatography testing strips (ICTs) promise to become the point-of-care test format for early diagnosis due to their convenience, low cost, and simplification. However, the insufficient signal intensity and limited sensitivity of this format hamper their application. Herein, we overcame these limitations by integrating rod-like ferric oxyhydroxide (β-FeOOH) nanoparticles with ICTs. By varying the concentration of PEI, a one-pot, mild-temperature hydrolysis method was adapted for the synthesis and morphology regulation of β-FeOOH nanorod. Due to the excellent enzyme-like catalytic activity toward peroxidase substrates (TMB) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), the β-FeOOH nanorod in ICTs served as a signal generator and the nanozyme for signal amplification. The proof-of-concept work was performed for the detection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). A two fold improvement of detection sensitivity was achieved compared to the sensitivity of conventional Au NPs-based ICTs. These results show that β-FeOOH-based ICT has a potential application in POCT detection in clinical diagnostics.

Graphical abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. CC Fang CC Chou YQ Yang WK Tsai YT Wang YH Chan 2018 Multiplexed detection of tumor markers with multicolor polymer dot-based immunochromatography test strip Anal Chem 90 2134 2140 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.7b04411

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. A Angheben D Buonfrate M Cruciani Y Jackson J Alonso-Padilla J Gascon Z Bisoffi 2019 Rapid immunochromatographic tests for the diagnosis of chronic Chagas disease in at-risk populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis PLOS Negl Trop Dis 13 e0007271 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007271

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. XM Li J Wang CQ Yi LL Jiang JX Wu XM Chen HT Lei 2019 A smartphone-based quantitative detection device integrated with latex microsphere immunochromatography for on-site detection of zearalenone in cereals and feed Sens Actuators B Chem 290 170 179 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2019.03.108

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. E Fu T Liang J Houghtaling S Ramachandran SA Ramsey B Lutz P Yager 2011 Enhanced sensitivity of lateral flow tests using a two-dimensional paper network format Anal Chem 83 7941 7946 https://doi.org/10.1021/ac201950g

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. J Wang J Zhou Y Chen X Zhang Y Jin X Cui L He 2019 Rapid one-step enzyme immunoassay and lateral flow immunochromatographic assay for colistin in animal feed and food J Anim Sci Biotechnol 10 82 92 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-019-0389-7

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. FD Nardo S Cavalera C Baggiani C Giovannoli L Anfossi 2019 Direct vs mediated coupling of antibodies to gold nanoparticles: the case of salivary cortisol detection by lateral flow immunoassay ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 11 32758 32768 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.9b11559

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. W Chen L Yang C Yan B Yao J Lu J Xu G Liu 2020 Surface-confined building of Au@Pt-centered and multi-G-quadruplex/hemin wires-surrounded electroactive supernanostructures for ultrasensitive monitoring of morphine ACS Sens 5 2644 2651 https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.0c01230

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. RS Rodriguez TL O’Keefe C Froehlich RE Lewis TR Sheldon CL Haynes 2020 Sensing food contaminants: advances in analytical methods and techniques Anal Chem 93 23 40 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c04357

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. H Zhou C Yang D Hu S Dou X Hui F Zhang X Mu 2019 Integrating microwave resonator and microchannel with immunochromatographic strip for stable and quantitative biodetection ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 11 14630 14639 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.9b02087

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. J Fu Y Zhou X Huang W Zhang Y Wu H Fang Y Xiong 2020 Dramatically enhanced immunochromatographic assay using cascade signal amplification for ultrasensitive detection of escherichia coli O157:H7 in milk J Agric Food Chem 68 1118 1125 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.9b07076

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. H Chen Q Qiu S Sharif S Ying Y Wang Y Ying 2018 Solution-phase synthesis of platinum nanoparticle-decorated metal-organic framework hybrid nanomaterials as biomimetic nanoenzymes for biosensing applications ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 10 24108 24115 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.8b04737

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. H Liu YN Ding B Yang Z Liu X Zhang Q Liu 2018 Iron doped CuSn (OH)6 microspheres as a peroxidase-mimicking artificial enzyme for H2O2 colorimetric detection ACS Sustain Chem Eng 6 14383 14393 https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b03082

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Y Teng J Shi PWT Pong 2019 Sensitive and specific colorimetric detection of cancer cells based on folate-conjugated gold-iron oxide composite nanoparticles ACS Appl Nano Mater 2 7421 7431 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.9b01947

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. M Tian W Xie T Zhang Y Liu Z Lu CM Li Y Liu 2020 A sensitive lateral flow immunochromatographic strip with prussian blue nanoparticles mediated signal generation and cascade amplification Sens Actuators B Chem 309 127728 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2020.127728

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. J Hu S Li J Chu S Niu J Wang Y Du P Xu 2019 Understanding the Phase-Induced electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction activity on FeOOH nanostructures ACS Catal 9 10705 10711 https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.9b03876

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. S Niu Y Sun G Sun D Rakov Y Li Y Ma P Xu 2019 Stepwise electrochemicalconstruction of FeOOH/Ni(OH)2 on Ni foam for enhanced electrocatalytic oxygen evolution ACS Appl Energy Mater 2 3927 3935 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.9b00785

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. AD Proctor BM Bartlett 2020 Hydroxyl radical suppression during photoelectrocatalytic water oxidation on WO3|FeOOH J Phys Chem C 124 17957 17963 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c04820

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. C Kinnear TL Moore L Rodriguez-Lorenzo B Rothen-Rutishauser A Petri-Fink 2017 Form follows function: nanoparticle shape and its implications for nanomedicine Chem Rev 117 11476 11521 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00194

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. H. Hu, J. Chen, J. Birrenkott, J.X. Zhao, S. Takalkar, K. Baryeh, G. L, Gold-nanoparticle-decorated silica nanorods for sensitive visual detection of protein. Anal Chem 86 (2014) 7351–7359. https://doi.org/10.1021/ac502249f .

  20. S Subramanian H Jones S Frustaci S Winter F Vollmer 2021 Sensing enzyme activation heat capacity at the single-molecule level using gold-nanorod-based optical whispering gallery modes ACS Appl Nano Mater 4 4576 4583 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.1c00176

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. J Bao G Yang Y Yoneyama N Tsubaki 2019 Significant advances in C1 catalysis: highly efficient catalysts and catalytic reactions ACS Catal 9 3026 3053 https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.8b03924

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. JC Si Y Xing ML Peng C Zhang N Buske C Chen YL Cui 2014 Solvothermal synthesis of tunable iron oxide nanorods and their transfer from organic phase to water phase Cryst Eng Comm 16 512 516 https://doi.org/10.1039/c3ce41544a

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Z. Wu, S. Yang, W. Wu, Shape control of inorganic nanoparticles from solution. Nanoscale. 3 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1039/c5nr07681a.

  24. Y Piao J Kim HB Na D Kim JS Baek MK Ko JH Lee M Shokouhimehr T Hyeon 2008 Wrap-bake-peel process for nanostructural transformation from β-FeOOH nanorods to biocompatible iron oxide nanocapsules Nat Mater 7 242 231 https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat2118

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. HF Shao XF Qian J Yin ZK Zhu 2005 Controlled morphology synthesis of β-FeOOH and the phase transition to Fe2O3 J Solid State Chem 178 3130 3136 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssc.2005.07.011

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. J Mohapatra A Mitra H Tyagi D Bahadur M Aslam 2015 Iron oxide nanorods as high-performance magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents Nanoscale 7 9174 9184 https://doi.org/10.1039/c5nr00055f

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. M Chen B Tang DE Nikles 2002 Preparation of iron nanoparticles by reduction of acicular β-FeOOH particles IEEE T Magn 34 1141 1143 https://doi.org/10.1109/20.706418

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. C Zheng W Chen P Dai 2018 Efficient tailored nonlinear optical responses by nanoassemblies: focus on spindle β-FeOOH nanorods Ceram Int 44 17180 17188 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.06.174

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. C Zhang HC Yang LS Wan HQ Liang H Li ZK Xu 2015 Polydopamine-coated porous substrates as a platform for mineralized beta-FeOOH nanorods with photocatalysis under sunlight ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 7 11567 11574 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5b02530

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Y Xu H Wu Q Xiong B Ji H Yi H Duan H Mao 2019 Size-controllable magnetic iron oxide nanorods for biomarker targeting and improving microfluidic mixing ACS Appl Bio Mater 2 3362 3371 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsabm.9b00359

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. CT Lo MH Li WT Lin 2015 The dispersion state of magnetic nanorods in homoplymers and block copolymers J Chem Phys 142 194903 185915 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4921042

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. C Lyu L Ju X Yang L Song N Liu 2020 β-FeOOH catalyzed peroxymonosulfate for organic pollutant degradation in water: radical and non-radical mechanism J Mater Sci Mater Electron 31 4797 4807 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-03041-2

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. C Li J Wu W Peng Z Fang J Liu 2019 Peroxymonosulfate activation for efficient sulfamethoxazole degradation by Fe3O4/β-FeOOH nanocomposites: coexistence of radical and non-radical reactions Chem Eng J 356 904 914 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2018.09.064

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. X Ge Y Ma X Song G Wang H Zhang Y Zhang H Zhao 2017 β-FeOOH nanorods/carbon foam-based hierarchically porous monolith for highly effective arsenic removal ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 9 13480 13490 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.7b01275

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Y Lin J Ren X Qu 2014 Catalytically active nanomaterials: a promising candidate for artificial enzymes Acc Chem Res 47 1097 1105 https://doi.org/10.1021/ar400250z

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Y Huang J Ren X Qu 2019 Nanozymes: classification, catalytic mechanisms, activity regulation and applications Chem Rev 119 4357 4412 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00672

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. M Burchardt M Träuble G Wittstock 2009 Digital simulation of scanning electrochemical microscopy approach curves to enzyme films with Michaelis−Menten kinetics Anal Chem 81 4857 4863 https://doi.org/10.1021/ac9004919

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. SR Ahmed J Cirone A Chen 2019 Fluorescent Fe3O4 quantum dots for H2O2 detection ACS Appl Nano Mater 2 2076 2085 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.9b00071

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Q Zhang S Chen H Wang H Yu 2018 Exquisite Enzyme-Fenton biomimetic catalysts for hydroxyl radical production by mimicking an enzyme cascade ACS Appl Mater Inter 10 8666 8675 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.7b18690

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Y Zhang L Han LL Hu YQ Chang RH He ML Chen Y Shu JH Wang 2016 Mesoporous carbon nanoparticles with polyacrylic acid capping as drug carrier for Bi-trigger drug continuous release J Mater Chem B 00 1 7 https://doi.org/10.1039/c6tb00987e

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. W Zhang H Duan R Chen T Ma L Zeng Y Leng Y Xiong 2019 Effect of different-sized gold nanoflowers on the detection performance of immunochromatographic assay for human chorionic gonadotropin detection Talanta 194 604 610 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2018.10.080

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. NX Viet NX Hoan Y Takamura 2019 Development of highly sensitive electrochemical immunosensor based on single-walled carbon nanotube modified screen-printed carbon electrode Mater Chem Phys 227 123 129 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2019.01.068

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. D Qin X Jiang G Mo X Zheng B Deng 2020 Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay of human chorionic gonadotropin using silver carbon quantum dots and functionalized polymer nanospheres Microchemicica Acta 187 482 495 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-020-04450-0

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. X Huang Y Li X Huang X Xie Y Xu Y Chen W Gao 2016 A novel reverse fluorescent immunoassay approach for sensing human chorionic gonadotropin based on silver-gold nano-alloy and magnetic nanoparticles Anal Bioanal Chem 408 619 627 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-015-9144-x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Z Zhang Y Guan T Xia J Du T Li Z Sun C Guo 2017 Influence of exposed magnetic nanoparticles and their application in chemiluminescence immunoassay Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Aspects 520 335 342 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2017.01.071

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. W Wang J Li C Dong Y Li Q Kou J Yan L Zhang 2018 Ultrasensitive ELISA for the detection of hCG based on assembled gold nanoparticles induced by functional polyamidoamine dendrimers Anal Chim Acta 1042 116 124 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2018.08.038

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. W Zhang H Duan R Chen T Ma L Zeng Y Leng 2019 Effect of different-sized gold nanoflowers on the detection performance of immunochromatographic assay for human chorionic gonadotropin detection Talanta 194 604 610 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2018.10.080

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21505089), Postdoctoral Research Foundation of China (2017M13038), and Doctoral Start-up Foundation of Shaanxi University of Science and Technology (BJ15-17).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi’an, 710021, China

    Dong Yang, Lei Lei, Kaidi Yang, Keyi Gao, Tongtong Jia & Lixia Wang

  2. Key Laboratory of Chemical Additives for China National Light Industry, Xi’an, China

    Dong Yang, Lei Lei, Kaidi Yang, Keyi Gao, Tongtong Jia & Lixia Wang

  3. College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi’an, 710021, China

    Chaohua Xue

Authors
  1. Dong Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lei Lei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kaidi Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Keyi Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Tongtong Jia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lixia Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Xue Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Chaohua Xue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Dong Yang or Chaohua Xue.

Additional information

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 3807 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yang, D., Lei, L., Yang, K. et al. An immunochromatography strip with peroxidase-mimicking ferric oxyhydroxide nanorods-mediated signal amplification and readout. Microchim Acta 189, 58 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-021-05085-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-021-05085-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation