A visible light induced photoelectrochemical aptsensor constructed by aligned ZnO@CdTe core shell nanocable arrays/carboxylated g-C3N4 for the detection of Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 6 gene

It was reported that Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 6 (PCSK6) can promote the progression of rheumatoid arthritis to a higher aggressive status. In this work, a novel visible light induced photoelectrochemical (PEC) platform was designed to detect PCSK6 gene. ZnO@CdTe nanocable arrays/carboxylated g-C3N4 used as the PEC signal generator. Hexagonal ZnO nanorods grew on ITO electrode firstly. CdTe were then electrodeposited on the ZnO nanorods surface to enhance the photogenerated h+/e− separation efficiency. Carboxylated g-C3N4 was utilized to improve h+/e− separation efficiency and anchor the capture probes of PCSK6 gene by the covalent bonding effect. The 5′ and 3′ primers captured PCSK6 ssDNA by the specific recognition. The linear range was 10 pg/mL to 20.0 ng/mL with a detection limit of 2 pg/mL.