Electrochemical aptasensor based on conductive supramolecular polymer hydrogels for thrombin detection with high...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Development of sensitive and specific biosensors is crucial for early disease detection.
• Existing aptasensors often face challenges with conductivity and biofouling, limiting their real-world application.
• Conductive supramolecular polymer hydrogels offer a promising platform to address these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a conductive supramolecular polymer hydrogel (CSPH) for enhanced aptasensor performance.
• To develop an antifouling electrochemical aptasensor for sensitive thrombin detection.
• To investigate the potential of CSPH in complex biological samples.

Main Methods:

• Electrochemical copolymerization of aniline and 3-aminophenylboronic acid to form CSPH on a glassy carbon electrode.
• Gelation of polyvinyl alcohol using boric acid groups on CSPH for robust hydrogel formation.
• Construction of a sandwich-type electrochemical aptasensor using thrombin aptamers and magnetic nanoparticles for signal amplification.

Main Results:

• The synthesized CSPH exhibited excellent conductivity and inherent antifouling properties.
• The aptasensor demonstrated high sensitivity for thrombin detection, with a linear range from 1 pmol/L to 10 nmol/L and a detection limit of 0.64 pmol/L.
• The sensor showed good recovery (95.2%–106.3%) and precision (RSDs 2.3%–4.5%) in complex samples.

Conclusions:

• CSPH is a highly effective material for developing advanced electrochemical aptasensors.
• The developed aptasensor offers a sensitive, specific, and antifouling platform for thrombin detection.
• This strategy is adaptable for detecting various targets in real biological samples.