Electrochemical immunosensor based on titanium dioxide grafted MXene for EpCAM antigen detection

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Conventional immunosensors often lack sensitivity for early-stage cancer detection and are time-consuming.
• MXenes, a class of novel 2D materials, offer unique electrochemical properties beneficial for biosensing applications.
• Early detection of EpCAM antigen is crucial for effective carcinoma treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a highly sensitive, label-free electrochemical immunosensor for EpCAM antigen detection.
• To develop a novel 2D/2D TiO2/Ti3C2Tx hybrid material for enhanced electron transfer.
• To evaluate the immunosensor's performance, including sensitivity, detection limit, and clinical applicability.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 2D/2D TiO2/Ti3C2Tx hybrid material via hydrothermal treatment.
• Development of an electrochemical immunosensor based on the TiO2/Ti3C2Tx platform functionalized with anti-EpCAM antibodies.
• Label-free detection of EpCAM antigen using electrochemical techniques.

Main Results:

• The developed immunosensor demonstrated a broad linear range (1 ag/mL to 10 ng/mL) for EpCAM detection.
• Achieved high sensitivity (6.661 µA ag-1 mL cm-2) and a low detection limit (0.7 ag/mL).
• Exhibited excellent reproducibility, long-term stability, selectivity, specificity, and good recovery in spiked human serum samples.

Conclusions:

• The novel TiO2/Ti3C2Tx-based electrochemical immunosensor offers a promising platform for sensitive and label-free EpCAM detection.
• This technology has potential for early-stage cancer diagnosis and clinical applications.
• The use of MXene-based materials significantly enhances immunosensor performance.