Capillary-Assisted Molecular Pendulum Bioanalysis

J Am Chem Soc. 2022 Oct 12;144(40):18338-18349. doi: 10.1021/jacs.2c06192. Epub 2022 Sep 29.

Abstract

The development of robust biosensing strategies that can be easily implemented in everyday life remains a challenge for the future of modern biosensor research. While several reagentless approaches have attempted to address this challenge, they often achieve user-friendliness through sacrificing sensitivity or universality. While acceptable for certain applications, these trade-offs hinder the widespread adoption of reagentless biosensing technologies. Here, we report a novel approach to reagentless biosensing that achieves high sensitivity, rapid detection, and universality using the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a model target. Universality is achieved by using nanoscale molecular pendulums, which enables reagentless electrochemical biosensing through a variable antibody recognition element. Enhanced sensitivity and rapid detection are accomplished by incorporating the coffee-ring phenomenon into the sensing scheme, allowing for target preconcentration on a ring-shaped electrode. Using this approach, we obtained limits of detection of 1 fg/mL and 20 copies/mL for the SARS-CoV-2 nucleoproteins and viral particles, respectively. In addition, clinical sample analysis showed excellent agreement with Ct values from PCR-positive SARS-CoV-2 patients.

MeSH terms

  • Biosensing Techniques*
  • COVID-19* / diagnosis
  • Electrodes
  • Humans
  • Nucleoproteins
  • SARS-CoV-2 / genetics

Substances

  • Nucleoproteins