Sandwich-format electrochemiluminescence assay for PDGF-BB using quantum dots-dendrimer nanocomposites as probe

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%.