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Immunosensor for α-fetoprotein based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with electrochemically deposited N-doped graphene, gold nanoparticles and chitosan

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Abstract

The authors describe a voltammetric immunosensor with antibody immobilized on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with N-doped graphene (N-GS), electrodeposited gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and chitosan (Chit). The preparation is simple and the thickness of the electrodeposited films can be well controlled. Due to the specific advantages of N-GS, AuNPs and Chit, the electrode has a large specific surface, improved conductivity, high stability. A new label-free immunosensor for the model antigen (alpha fetoprotein, AFP) detection was then designed by employing N-GS-AuNP-Chit as the antibody immobilization and signal amplification platform. Differential pulse voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used for the characterization of the stepwise assembly process. Under the optimized conditions, at a typical working potential of +0.20 V (vs. SCE), and by using hexacyanoferrate as an electrochemical probe, the immunosensor has a detection limit as low as 1.6 pg mL−1 and a linear analytical range that extends from 5 pg mL−1 to 50 ng mL−1. AFP was quantified in spiked human serum samples with acceptable precision.

Schematic of sensitive and effective label-free electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of AFP based on N-GS-AuNP-Chit as signal amplification matrix.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21665010, 51572117 and 51302117), the outstanding youth fund and 5511 Project of Jiangxi Province (20162BCB23027), Jiangxi Provincial, Department of Education (GJJ12595), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (20171BAB203015, 20151BAB203018), Postdoctoral Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (2014KY14), State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biosensing & Chemometrics (2015010) for their financial support of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013, People’s Republic of China

    Haiyan Jia, Taotao Yang, Yinxiu Zuo & Jingkun Xu

  2. Institute of Functional Materials and Agricultural Applied Chemistry, College of Science, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, People’s Republic of China

    Haiyan Jia, Wenmin Wang, Limin Lu & Ping Li

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  1. Haiyan Jia
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  2. Taotao Yang
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  3. Yinxiu Zuo
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  4. Wenmin Wang
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  5. Jingkun Xu
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  6. Limin Lu
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  7. Ping Li
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Correspondence to Jingkun Xu or Limin Lu.

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Jia, H., Yang, T., Zuo, Y. et al. Immunosensor for α-fetoprotein based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with electrochemically deposited N-doped graphene, gold nanoparticles and chitosan. Microchim Acta 184, 3747–3753 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-017-2407-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-017-2407-9

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