Electrochemical immunosensor based on nanoporpus gold loading thionine for carcinoembryonic antigen

• Nanoporous gold (NPG) was fabricated on the GC electrode by layer-by-layer assembly technique.
• NPG modified GC electrode interface (GC/Thi@NPG/AuNPs)-based biosensor was fabricated.
• The detection limit for CEA reached 3 pg mL−1 of the obtained biosensor.

Nanoporous gold (NPG) has recently received considerable attention in analytical electrochemistry because of its good conductivity and large specific surface area. A facile layer-by-layer assembly technique fabricated NPG was used to construct an electrochemical immunosensor for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). NPG was fabricated on glassy carbon (GC) electrode by alternatively assembling gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using 1,4-benzenedimethanethiol as a cross-linker, and then AgNPs were dissolved with HNO3. The thionine was absorbed into the NPG and then gold nanostructure was electrodeposited on the surface through the electrochemical reduction of gold chloride tetrahydrate (HAuCl4). The anti-CEA was directly adsorbed on gold nanostructure fixed on the GC electrode. The linear range of the immunosensor was from 10 pg mL−1 to 100 ng mL−1 with a detection limit of 3 pg mL−1 (S/N = 3). The proposed immunosensor has high sensitivity, wide linear range, low detection limit, and good selectivity. The present method could be widely applied to construct other immunosensors.

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