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Photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunoassay is a burgeoning and promising bioanalytical method. However, the practical application of PEC still exist some challenges such as the inevitable damage of biomolecules caused by the PEC system and the unsatisfactory sensitivity for biomarkers with low abundance in real sample. To solve the problems, we integrated the cosensitized structure of Ag2S/ZnO nanocomposities as photoelectrode with photogenerated hole-induced chemical redox cycling amplification (CRCA) strategy to develop a split-type PEC immunosensor for cardiac troponin I (cTnI) with high sensitivity. Initially, the immunoreaction was carried out on the 96-well plates in which alkaline phosphatase (ALP) could catalyze ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (AAP) to generate the signal-reporting species ascorbic acid (AA). Subsequently, the AA participated and the tris (2-carboxyethyl) phosphine (TCEP) mediated chemical redox cycling reaction took place on the photoelectrode, thus leading to signal amplification. Under the optimized conditions, the immunosensor demonstrated a detection limit (LOD) of 3.0 × 10−15 g mL−1 with a detection range of 1.0 × 10−14 g mL−1 to 1.0 × 10−9 g mL−1 for cTnI. Impressively, the proposed method could determine the cTnI in human serum samples with high sensitivity and satisfactory accuracy. Considering the virtues of the photoelectrode and the chemical redox cycling strategy, the method would hold great potential for highly sensitive biosensing and bioanalysis.

A signal-switchable electrochemiluminescence (ECL) aptasensor was presented for sensitive prostate specific antigen (PSA) assay using ferrocene-graphene sheets (Fc-GNs) for high-efficiency quenching of ECL from Au nanoparticles functionalized cadmium sulfide flower-like three dimensional (3D) assemblies (Au-CdS flower-like 3D assemblies). Au-CdS flower-like 3D assemblies were synthesized and employed as luminophore, exhibiting strong and stable ECL intensity, and followed by assembling captured DNA (cDNA) and hybridizing it with half of base sequence of PSA aptamer on the Au-CdS flower-like 3D assemblies modified electrode. The remaining part of the non-complementary base of the aptamer could preferentially adsorb GN with the signal switched “off” state. While in the presence of the PSA, the binding of PSA with aptamer caused desorption of aptamer from the surface of Fc-GNs and was then released from electrode surface, thus allowing the ECL signal enhancement. With the transformation of luminescence signal from “off” to “on”, the aptasensor displays high sensitivity for PSA detection with a linear range from 1 pg mL −1 to 25 ng mL −1 and a detection limit of 0.38 pg mL −1 S/N =3). Moreover, this developed method could be successfully applied to the determination of PSA in human serum samples with recoveries of 85.8–104.0%, suggesting great potential applications in biochemical analysis.

The exploration of advanced photoactive materials with fine photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance is always the hot subject in PEC bioanalysis. Herein, Mn-doped CdS nanocrystals (CdS:Mn)-sensitized 2D/2D heterostructured g-C

A new method of capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled with tris(2, 2′-bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection has been developed to detect four local anesthetics procainamide (PAH), tetracaine (TCH), proparacaine (PCH) and cinchocaine (CIN) simultaneously. An europium (III)-doped prussian blue analogue film (Eu-PB) modified platinum electrode was prepared and applied to improve the detection sensitivity. The parameters including additives, concentration and pH of the running buffer, separation voltage and detection potential that affect CE separation and ECL detection were optimized in detail. The four local anesthetics were baseline separated and detected within 10 min under the optimized conditions. The detection limits (LOD) of PAH, TCH, PCH and CIN are 5.5×10 −8 , 9.6×10 −8 , 2.5×10 −8 and 3.5×10 −8 mol L −1 (S/ N=3 ), respectively. RSDs of the migration time for four analytes range from 1.2% to 2.5% within intraday and from 2.4% to 4.9% in interday, RSDs of the peak area for four analytes are from 1.7% to 3.3% within intraday and from 2.2% to 5.6% in interday, respectively. The limits of quantitation (LOQ) ( S / N=10 ) for PAH, TCH, PCH and CIN in human urine sample are 5.9×10 −7 , 9.2×10 −7 , 8.3×10 −7 and 5.0×10 −7 mol L −1 , separately. The recoveries ( n=3 ) of four analytes in human urine are from 87.6% to 107.7% with less than 5.9% in RSDs. The developed method was used to determine four local anesthetics in human urine samples and investigate the interaction between PAH and human serum albumin (HSA). The number of binding sites and the binding constant of PAH with HSA were calculated to be 1.03 and 2.4×10 4 L mol −1 , respectively.

The exploration of advanced photoactive materials with fine photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance is always the hot subject in PEC bioanalysis. Herein, Mn-doped CdS nanocrystals (CdS:Mn)-sensitized 2D/2D heterostructured g-C3N4-MoS2 was prepared and served as photoactive matrix of PEC sensing platform for myoglobin (Myo) detection using CuO nanoparticles labeled anti-Myo (anti-Myo-CuO) conjugates as signal amplification tags. The heterostructured g-C3N4-MoS2 could effectively promote the electron transfer and evidently restrain the recombination of electron-hole pairs, producing the high photocurrent response. Upon loaded CdS:Mn on the heterostructured g-C3N4-MoS2 to form co-sensitized structure, the photocurrent further gives a dramatically increase. To proof the performance of the co-sensitized structure in PEC bioanalysis, a sandwich type PEC immunosensor was designed by using the co-sensitized structure as photomatrix, Myo as model protein, and anti-Myo-CuO conjugates as amplifying tags. The introduction of anti-Myo-CuO conjugates in this system could significantly quench the PEC response of the sensing interface owing to the competition of the light-generated electron, poor conductivity and steric hindrance of the anti-Myo-CuO conjugates. In virtue of synergistic amplification of the CdS:Mn sensitized heterostructured g-C3N4-MoS2 and the anti-Myo-CuO conjugates, the immunosensor could respond down to 0.42 pg mL−1 Myo with a detectable range of 1.0 pg mL−1 to 50 ng mL−1. Moreover, this PEC platform demonstrates high specificity and sensitivity for Myo detection in real biological matrices. This strategy may furnish new insights for applications of novel 2D/2D heterostructures in PEC bioanalysis.

This work describes a novel electrochemiluminescence aptasensor for highly sensitive detection of platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) using aptamer functionalized CdS quantum dots-polyamidoamine as probe (CdS QDs-PAMAM-Apt). CdS QDs-PAMAM nanocomposites were synthesized by one-pot synthesis in methanol. The prepared nanocomposites were linked with the NH2-aptamer 2 (Apt2) of PDGF-BB to form the CdS QDs-PAMAM-Apt2 probe by glutaraldehyde as coupling reagent. For constructing the aptasensor, MWCNTs-chitosan composites and NH2-aptamer 1 (Apt1) with the same base sequence as Apt2 were immobilized on the electrode by the self-assembled method to recognize the target protein PDGF-BB. In the presence of PDGF-BB, the structure of sandwiched format was formed between the Apt1 and the CdS QDs-PAMAM-Apt2 probe, thereby resulting in a proportional increase of ECL emission. Thanks to the efficient and stable ECL emission of CdS QDs-PAMAM dendrimer and the advantage of MWCNTs for accelerating the electron transfer, the highly sensitive detection of PDGF-BB with a detection limit of 0.13pM was achieved. The linear range is from 0.5pM to 1nM. The present protocol was applied to the analysis of PDGF-BB in human serum samples. The recoveries of PDGF-BB in human serum samples are 87.2-113% and RSD values are less than 3.6%.

A sandwich-type luminol electrochemiluminescence (ECL) aptasensor for highly sensitive and selective detection of platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) is fabricated. For this proposed ECL aptasensor, a multilayered AuNPs-electrochemically reduced graphene (AuNPs-EG) nanocomposite film was formed on the GCE surface as the base of the aptasensor through a co-electrodeposition method. The AuNPs-EG composites possess high conductivity to promote the electron transfer at the electrode interface and good biocompatibility and large surface area to capture large amounts of primary aptamer (Apt1), thus amplifying the detection response. Moreover, glucose oxidase (GOD) functionalized AuNPs labeled secondary aptamer (GOD-Apt2-AuNPs) was designed as the signal probe for the sandwiched aptasensor. Enhanced sensitivity was obtained by in situ generation of H2O2 from reaction between GOD and glucose and the excellent catalytic behavior of AuNPs to the ECL of the luminol-H2O2 system. Under the optimal conditions, the as-prepared ECL aptasensor exhibited excellent analytical property for the detection of PDGF-BB in the range from 1.0×10(-13) to 5.0×10(-10) mol L(-1) with a detection limit of 1.7×10(-14) mol L(-1) (S/N=3). The application of the present protocol was demonstrated by analyzing PDGF-BB in human serum and human urine samples with the recoveries from 85.0% to 110%.

A simple and novel electrochemical sensor for the determination of tetracycline (TC), a kind of antibiotic that may induce residue in the food chain, was developed by the modification of iron/zinc cation–exchanged montmorillonite (Fe/Zn–MMT) catalyst on glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The morphology and the structure of the Fe/Zn–MMT nanomaterial were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The results of electrochemical experiments demonstrated that the sensor exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity to the oxidation of TC in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The sensor displayed a wide linear range from 0.30 to 52.0 μM and a low detection limit of 0.10 μM by using the derivative differential pulse voltammetry. Moreover, the electrochemical sensor was applied to the detection of TC in feedstuff and meat samples.

A multifunctional Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs)–polydopamine (Pdop)@graphene (Gr) composite was prepared by a simple and mild procedure. Gr was easily coated with Pdop at room temperature and then AgNPs was deposited by mildly stirring. The nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Guanine and adenine as model moleculars were employed to study their electrochemical responses at the Ag–Pdop@Gr composite modified electrode, which showed more favorable electron transfer kinetics than Gr modified glassy carbon and AgNPs modified glassy carbon electrodes. The Ag–Pdop@Gr modified electrode exhibited linear ranges of 0.04–50 μM and 0.02–40 μM with detection limits of 4.0 nM and 2.0 nM for guanine and adenine, respectively. The developed method was applied for simultaneous determination of trace-level adenine and guanine in fish sperm. The results demonstrated that the AgNPs–Pdop@Gr nanocomposite was a promising substrate for the development of high-performance electrocatalysts for biosensing.