An ultrasensitive disposable sandwich-configuration electrochemical immunosensor based on OMC@AuNPs composites and AuPt-MB for alpha-fetoprotein detection.

[Display omitted] • OMC@AuNPs combined with AuPt-MB were firstly applied to immunosensor fabrication. • A facile method was firstly used to prepare OMC@AuNPs composites. • A disposable sandwich-configuration immunosensor was presented for AFP detection. • This immunosensor exhibited good selectivity and sensitivity towards AFP. • Results in detecting human serum samples indicated potential clinical application. Early finding and diagnosis are critical for prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a typical biomarker of HCC. Since AFP level can reflect the severity of HCC, it is essential to ensure the accurate detection of AFP. In this study, through a combination of the advantages exhibited by ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC)@gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) composites and AuPt-methylene blue (AuPt-MB), a disposable ultrasensitive sandwich-configuration electrochemical immunosensor for determination of AFP was designed. Characterized by excellent conductivity, highly ordered pore distribution and great surface area, OMC can be effective in promoting electron transfer and loading a large number of AuNPs. In the meantime, AuNPs can also immobilize AFP-Ab 1 through Au-N bonds. As a new redox-active species, rod-like AuPt-MB demonstrates high conductivity, uniform morphology and excellent biocompatibility, which makes it capable not only to fix AFP-Ab 2 , but also to release electrochemical signals. A wide linearity of 10 fg mL−1-100 ng mL−1 and a low detection limit of 3.33 fg mL−1 (S/N = 3) were obtained. Moreover, the proposed immunosensor exhibited acceptable selectivity, high stability and reproducibility. The excellent performance in detecting serum samples endows the proposed immunosensor with broad prospects of extensive application in the detection of disease biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]