Nano-iniferter based imprinted sensor for ultra trace level detection of prostate-specific antigen in both men and women

In this work, a sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for detection of prostate specific antigen (PSA) was developed using surface imprinting and nanotechnology. The multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) decorated with manganese nanoparticles was functionalized with thio-group to make a nano-iniferter. This nano-iniferter was used as a platform to synthesize a three-dimensional molecularly imprinted polymer matrix for PSA by controlled radical polymerization technique. The PSA-sensor displayed good analytical performance for the detection of PSA by square wave and differential pulse stripping voltammetric techniques. The limit of detection was calculated as low as 0.25 pg L−1 (from SWSV) and 3.04 pg L−1 (from DPSV) at signal to noise ratio of 3. The proposed sensor was successfully applied for the determination of PSA in human blood serum, urine, and forensic samples without any cross-reactivity. Thus this sensor offers high selectivity, sensitivity, simplicity and clinical applicability for PSA determination in sera of both the men and women, which have not been reported together in the previously reported systems. The sensor may be used as a better alternative for the commercially available ELISA kits for PSA determination.