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Ratiometric electrochemical immunoassay for procalcitonin based on dual signal probes: Ag NPs and Nile blue A

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Abstract

In order to determine procalcitonin, a sandwich-type ratiometic electrochemical immunosensor was developed by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Due to high chemical stability and good biocompatibility, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) could be used as feasible supporter to carry silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with an obvious oxidative peak (measured typically at + 0.3 V vs. SCE). Ag NPs loaded onto g-C3N4 were not only beneficial to prevent the agglomeration of Ag NPs, but also favorable to improve the electron transfer velocity of g-C3N4. Moreover, the g-C3N4-Ag NPs as the matrix could immobilize primary antibody by Ag–N bond. Nile blue A (NBA), an excellent redox probe based on the redox reaction with two-electrons, provides a current signal at − 0.38 V (vs. SCE). Zr-based metal organic framework (UiO-67), an ideal framework material with large specific surface area and high porosity, could absorb the substantial water-soluble NBA by electrostatic adsorption. The UiO-67 modified by NBA (NBA-UiO-67) owned admirable biocompatibility and was a qualifying marker to load the secondary antibody. For the immunosensor, the current ratio of NBA to Ag NPs (INBA/IAg NPs) was increased as the concentrations of PCT increased. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range of the immunosensor was 0.005 to 50 ng/mL; the detection limit was 1.67 pg/mL (S/N = 3), which reflected the excellent analytical performance of the sensor. The proposed immunosensor strategy is a simple and dependable platform, with great application potential in biometric analysis.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Key Scientific Instrument and Equipment Development Project of China (No. 21627809), the Jinan Scientific Research Leader Workshop Project (No. 2018GXRC024).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Interfacial Reaction & Sensing Analysis in Universities of Shandong, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, People’s Republic of China

    Qi Yue, Xiaoting Xu, Xinyi Huang, Dongmei Cao, Qin Wei & Wei Cao

  2. Qingdao Bright Moon Seaweed Group Co., Ltd., Qingdao, 266000, People’s Republic of China

    Xuan Li

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  1. Qi Yue
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  2. Xuan Li
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  3. Xiaoting Xu
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  7. Wei Cao
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Correspondence to Wei Cao.

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Yue, Q., Li, X., Xu, X. et al. Ratiometric electrochemical immunoassay for procalcitonin based on dual signal probes: Ag NPs and Nile blue A. Microchim Acta 189, 126 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-022-05225-5

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