PEC thrombin aptasensor based on Ag-Ag₂S decorated hematite photoanode with signal-down effect of precipitation...

A photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptasensor for thrombin detection was rationally designed based on the photoanode of one-dimensional hematite nanorods (α-Fe₂O₃ NRs) with several steps of modifications. Uniform α-Fe₂O₃ NRs were grown vertically on the surface of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conductive glass through a one-step hydrothermal method; then Ag was grown on the surface of α-Fe₂O₃ NRs through a photoreduction method followed by a partial in-situ transformation into Ag₂S, conferring an improvement on the initial photocurrent. Two main critical factors, namely, the steric hindrance of thrombin, benzoquinone (BQ) precipitation oxidized by H₂O₂ under the catalysis of G-quadruplexes/hemin, contributed to the sensitive signal-down response toward the target. Photocurrent signals related with thrombin concentration was established for thrombin analysis due to the non-conductive complex as well as their competitive consumption of electron donors and irradiation light. The excellent initial photocurrent was combined with the signal-down amplification in the design of the biosensor, conferring a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 40.2 fM and a wide linear range from 0.0001 nM to 50 nM for the detection of thrombin. The proposed biosensor was also assessed in terms of selectivity, stability, and applicability in human serum analyses, which provided an appealing maneuver for the specific analysis of thrombin in trace amount.