Aptamer-based immunosensor on the ZnO nanorods networks

Area of Science:

• Biosensors
• Nanomaterials Science
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Aptamers offer high specificity and affinity for target biomolecules.
• Zinc oxide nanorod networks (ZNNs) provide a suitable platform for protein immobilization due to their high isoelectric point.
• Electrochemical immunosensors are valuable tools for detecting disease biomarkers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize a new aptamer-based electrochemical immunosensor for thrombin detection.
• To utilize patterned ZNNs for enhanced sensor performance.
• To establish an antibody-antigen-aptamer sandwich structure for sensitive thrombin quantification.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of ZNNs on Au/Ti electrodes via hydrothermal growth and lift-off process.
• Immobilization of antibodies onto ZNNs, followed by incubation with ferrocene-labeled aptamers and thrombin.
• Electrochemical detection of thrombin using cyclic voltammetry to measure peak oxidation currents.

Main Results:

• The immunosensor exhibited a linear response to thrombin concentration (100 pM to 250 nM) with a logarithmic relationship.
• A low detection limit of approximately 91.04 pM was achieved.
• The sensor demonstrated good selectivity and electrochemical stability.

Conclusions:

• The fabricated aptamer-based immunosensor on ZNNs is a promising tool for electrochemical thrombin detection.
• The sensor design offers high sensitivity and selectivity, suitable for clinical applications.
• This work represents a novel approach in developing advanced biosensing platforms for biomarker analysis.