Self-powered photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensing platform without external voltage has provided a breakthrough in the development of biosensors, however, it is necessary to find suitable Fermi energy level difference between photoanode materials and photocathode materials as the driving force. Herein, the self-powered PEC sensor was developed to combine the advantages of both the photoanode (SnS2/In2S3) and the photocathode (CuInS2). The sufficient Fermi level differentiation between the photoanode with the photocathode not only resulted in an evident photocurrent response vis tuning the electron transfer but avoided redox reactions of extra electron donors/acceptors to enhance the accuracy of the sensor. The biological target was immobilized on the photocathode, which allowed the sensor to possess a good anti-interference capability for the detection of real samples. The proposed PEC sensor exhibits good sensitivity for the cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1) detection and a low limit of detection (LOD) of 6.57 fg mL-1. Moreover, the as-purposed PEC system with good anti-interference capability and accuracy has implications for the detection of other biomarkers.
Keywords: PEC biosensors; Photoanode; Photocathode; Self-powered PEC sensors.
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