In this study, we developed a low-cost, reusable, and highly sensitive analytical platform for the detection of the human metabolite uric acid (UA). This novel analysis platform combines the graphene chemoresistor detection technique with a magnetic bead (MB) system. The heterojunction (single-layer graphene and HfO2 thin-film material) of our graphene-based biosensor worked as a transducer to detect the pH change caused by the specific catalytic reaction between UA and uricase, and hence acquires a UA concentration. Immobilization of uricase on MBs can decouple the functionalization steps from the sensor surface, which allows the sensor to be reusable. Our microsensor platform exhibits a relatively lower detection limit (1 μM), high sensitivity (5.6 mV/decade), a linear range (from 1 μM to 1000 μM), and excellent linearity (R2 = 0.9945). In addition, interference assay and repeatability tests were conducted, and the result suggests that our method is highly stable and not affected by common interfering substances (glucose and urea). The integration of this high-performance and compact biosensor device can create a point-of-care diagnosis system with reduced cost, test time, and reagent volume.
Keywords: chemoresistor; graphene; magnetic beads; pH detection; uric acid detection.