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An electrochemical aptasensor electrocatalyst for detection of thrombin
Rong Tian1, Xiaojun Chen2, Qingwen Li3
1College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, People's Republic of China; Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China.
This study presents a novel aptasensor for ultrasensitive thrombin detection using a unique signal amplification strategy. The method achieves a low detection limit, offering high sensitivity and specificity for biomarker identification.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Thrombin is a key biomarker in various physiological and pathological processes.
- Ultrasensitive detection methods are crucial for early diagnosis and monitoring of thrombin-related diseases.
- Existing detection techniques often face limitations in sensitivity, specificity, or complexity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel and highly sensitive aptasensor for thrombin detection.
- To utilize a cascade catalysis strategy for signal amplification.
- To employ three-dimensional ordered macroporous C60-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (3DOM C60-PEDOT-[BMIm][BF6]) for enhanced detection.
Main Methods:
- Construction of Au-PEDOT@SiO2 microspheres as nanocarriers and nanocatalysts.
- Immobilization of secondary thrombin aptamers onto the microspheres.
- Cascade catalysis involving alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), ethanol, β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrate (NAD+), and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs).
- Electrochemical detection of the amplified signal.
Main Results:
- The aptasensor demonstrated a wide linear range from 2 × 10⁻¹³ to 2 × 10⁻⁸ M for thrombin.
- A remarkably low detection limit of 2 × 10⁻¹⁴ M was achieved.
- The proposed method exhibited high sensitivity and excellent specificity for thrombin detection.
Conclusions:
- The developed aptasensor based on 3DOM C60-PEDOT-[BMIm][BF6] and cascade catalysis offers a powerful platform for ultrasensitive thrombin detection.
- The novel signal amplification strategy significantly enhances detection performance.
- This approach holds great promise for clinical diagnostics and biomedical research.
