An antifouling coating that enables affinity-based electrochemical biosensing in complex biological fluids

Nat Nanotechnol. 2019 Dec;14(12):1143-1149. doi: 10.1038/s41565-019-0566-z. Epub 2019 Nov 11.

Abstract

Affinity-based electrochemical detection in complex biological fluids could enable multiplexed point-of-care diagnostics for home healthcare; however, commercialization of point-of-care devices has been limited by the rapid loss of sensitivity caused by electrode surface inactivation and biofouling. Here, we describe a simple and robust antifouling coating for electrodes consisting of a three-dimensional porous matrix of cross-linked bovine serum albumin supported by a network of conductive nanomaterials composed of either gold nanowires, gold nanoparticles or carbon nanotubes. These nanocomposites prevent non-specific interactions while enhancing electron transfer to the electrode surface, preserving 88% of the original signal after 1 month of exposure to unprocessed human plasma, and functionalization with specific antibodies enables quantification of anti-interleukin 6 in plasma with high sensitivity. The easy preparation, stability and simplicity of this nanocomposite allow the generation of electrochemical biosensors that can operate in complex biological fluids such as blood plasma or serum.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies / blood
  • Biofouling
  • Biosensing Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Electrochemical Techniques / instrumentation
  • Electrodes
  • Equipment Design
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Immobilized Proteins / chemistry
  • Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / chemistry*
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / ultrastructure
  • Plasma / chemistry
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine / chemistry*

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Immobilized Proteins
  • Nanotubes, Carbon
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine
  • Gold