A disposable electrochemical immunosensor based on carbon screen-printed electrodes for the detection of prostate specific antigen

A novel screen-printed electrode (SPEs) on sheets of vegetable parchment was prepared. The obtained SPEs were stable, convenient, inexpensive and suitable for large-area screen-printing. With these SPEs, we explored the fabrication of a novel, disposable and highly sensitive electro-analytical immunosensor using graphene nanosheets (GS) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled signal antibody functionalized with gold nanoparticles (HRP-Ab2/Au NPs). GS was used to increase the conductivity and stability of this immunosensor due to its fast electron transportation and good biocompatibility. Au NPs could not only provide a large surface area for the immobilization of HRP-Ab2 but also enhance the electroreduction between HRP and H2O2 to amplify the electrochemical signal on the sandwich immuno-complexes modified SPEs. The proposed SPEs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electrochemical methods involving cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedence method. Using prostate specific antigen (PSA) as a model analyte, this immunosensor showed a wide linear range over 6 orders of magnitude with the minimum value down to 2 pg mL−1. In addition, this immunosensor could avoid the need of deoxygenation for the electrochemical immunoassay. Thus, it provided a promising potential in clinical applications.

► A novel SPE array based on vegetable parchment was demonstrated and characterized.
► A disposable and highly sensitive immunosensor based on this SPE array was explored.
► This immunosensor avoided deoxygenation and provided a promising potential in POCT.