Simple synthesis of silver nanoparticles functionalized cuprous oxide nanowires nanocomposites and its application in electrochemical immunosensor

In this work, silver nanoparticles functionalized cuprous oxide nanowires (Ag@Cu2O) nanocomposites were synthesized by a simple method. The nanostructure of it could be well confirmed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image. Due to the good synergistic effect between silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and cuprous oxide nanowires (Cu2O NWs), Ag@Cu2O nanocomposites displayed a good electrocatalytic performance towards the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Cyclic voltammograms (CVs) were employed to investigate electrocatalytic mechanism of it. Using Ag@Cu2O nanocomposites as the labels, a novel and ultrasensitive sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor was developed for the quantitative detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Due to the special electrochemical performance of Ag@Cu2O nanocomposites, the facile and sensitive fabrication of the designed immunosensor was achieved. Under optimal conditions, the designed immunosensor exhibited a wide linear range with a low detection limit. It also displayed an electrochemical performance with good reproducibility, selectivity and stability, which would provide potential applications in the clinical diagnosis of other tumor markers.