Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay using ionic-liquid submicron particles for prostate-specific antigen...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Electrochemical immunoassays offer sensitive detection methods.
• Development of novel carriers is crucial for enhancing assay performance.
• Ionic liquids (ILs) present unique properties for electrochemical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop ionic-liquid submicron particles (ILSPs) as carriers for electrochemiluminescence immunoassays (ECLIA).
• To investigate the quantitative determination of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) using ILSPs in ECLIA.
• To evaluate different ionic liquids and surfactants for optimal ILSP formulation.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of ILSPs encapsulating tris(2',2-bipyridyl)ruthenium (II) ([Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺) using selected ionic liquids and surfactants.
• Characterization of ILSPs, including particle size, zeta potential, and morphology.
• Application of ILSPs in ECLIA for PSA determination, measuring electrochemiluminescence intensity.

Main Results:

• ILSPs successfully encapsulated the [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ luminophore.
• 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([BMIM][TFSA]) based ILSPs exhibited superior stability and performance.
• A linear relationship was observed for PSA quantification (100 pg/mL–100 µg/mL) with a limit of detection of 544 pg/mL.

Conclusions:

• ILSPs serve as effective carriers for ECLIA, facilitating PSA detection.
• The developed ECLIA method using ILSPs offers a simple and sensitive approach for PSA quantification.
• This study demonstrates the potential of ILSPs in advanced immunoassay development.