Core/shellthick CdTe/CdS quantum dots functionalized TiO2 nanotube: A novel electrochemiluminescence platform for label-free immunosensor to detect tris-(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate in environment

• Core/shellthick CdTe/CdS QDs-TiO2 NTs was synthesized and applied as a new type of ECL substrate to develop an immunosensor.
• The anti-TBC monoclonal antibody was first raised in this work.
• The proposed ECL immunosensor has been successfully applied in the analysis of TBC in environmental samples.

A non-labeled electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor is proposed for the detection of tris-(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate (TBC) by cross-linking anti-TBC antibody onto a core/shellthick CdTe/CdS quantum dots (QDs)-modified TiO2 nanotube (NT) electrode (CdTe/CdS-TiO2). The thick CdS shell (>5 nm) can significantly increase the stability of the CdTe QDs and suppress the nonradiative recombination within the QDs. Strong and stable ECL signals are therefore produced through the electron-transfer reactions between the electron-injected CdTe/CdS QDs and reduced S2O82−. In the presence of the target compound, the formation of immunocomplex results in a decrease in the ECL intensity owing to that the immunocomplex hinders the transfer of reactant reagents to the electrode surface. The immunosensor shows specific and sensitive responses to TBC with a linear range from 10 pM to 50 nM, and a detection limit of 6 pM. The practical applications of the immunosensor are also realized in the determination of TBC in water and soil samples.

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