Development of An Electrochemical Impedance Immunosensor For Myoglobin Determination
Development of An Electrochemical Impedance Immunosensor For Myoglobin Determination
Development of An Electrochemical Impedance Immunosensor For Myoglobin Determination
72
International Journal of
ELECTROCHEMICAL
SCIENCE
www.electrochemsci.org
This work addressed the fabrication of a bioelectrode via the attachment of monolayer-protected Au
nanoparticles (AuNPs) onto a 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) self-assembled monolayer
(SAM) on an indium-tin-oxide (ITO). An anti-myoglobin antibody (Ab-Mb) was then linked to the
AuNPs with a carbodiimide coupling reaction. The terminal bioelectrode was termed as Ab-
Mb/AuNPs/APTES/ITO. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV)
were employed for the characterization of the proposed bioelectrode, which displayed an
electrochemical impedance response to Ag-Mb in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) with a linear range
of 10 ng/mL-1 μg/mL and an LOD of 2.7 ng/mL.
1. INTRODUCTION
Cardiac myoglobin (Mb) is among the earliest biomolecules released into blood circulation
after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and is, therefore, an early marker for AMI. The level of an
early marker within 6 h after symptoms onset and a definitive marker with remarkable sensitivity and
specificity in blood could be employed for AMI diagnostics, as recommended by the National
Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB) [1, 2]. Myoglobin is rapidly released, circulated and
shows an increase in concentration due to its small size (17.8 kDa). It is unusual for the serum
Int. J. Electrochem. Sci., Vol. 12, 2017 6171
concentration of myoglobin to exceed 110 μg/L, and this is an indication for AMI. Although
performing well in sensitivity with an LOD of no less than 1 ng.mL−1, ELISA and other cardiac
markers detection assays are considered improper for rapid decision-making with respect to heart
attack, since these assays require no less than 6 h to conduct, and they must be performed in central
laboratories of hospitals and clinics. In addition, a large number of reagents and specimens are required
in these large-scale assays. Early, on-site diagnostics with desirable accuracy aid doctors in their
diagnoses. Novel techniques need to be developed for fast biomarker determinations. In terms of on-
site diagnostics, electrochemical biosensors/immunosensors are a present area of interest. Featuring
cost-effectiveness, facile miniaturization and desirable specificity, and sensitivity and simplicity,
electrochemical immunosensors have gained widespread recognition as a promising analysis
technique.
Being portable, highly efficient, easily usable, possible to be miniaturized, rapid in response
time, and direct in transduction (biomolecular recognition events directly leading to electronic signals),
electrochemical immunosensors have triggered a revolution in contemporary chemical analysis as a
significant sensing system. Electrochemical immunosensors have gained extensive use in biological-
warfare agents, biological toxins, biomarker and protein detection in the fields of pharmaceutical
chemistry, environment, food and clinical diagnosis applications since they are significantly cost-
effective, selective, sensitive and accurate [3-7]. On the basis of glassy carbon electrode (GCE)
modified by methylene blue-multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) nanohybrid, an Mb-targeted
electrochemical sensor was proposed by Pakapongpan and co-workers [8], with direct electrochemical
reduction of Mb as the basis of determination. The linear range of Mb determination was as extensive
as 0.1 μM-3.0 μM (∼1.78 μg mL−1-53.40 μg mL−1) with respect to the proposed biosensor. It is,
however, still beyond the physiological range of cMb in human blood. Hence, the specimen should be
diluted when applied to sub-μg mL−1 Mb determination. Since the sensing formation of antibody-
antigen and biotin–avidin complexes and DNA-oligonucleotide interactions and other biological
interfaces have witnessed the nondestructive and sensitive performance of electrochemical impedance
spectroscopy (EIS) in characterizing electrical traits, much attention has been paid to this technique [9,
10].
Having gained widespread application in the field of electrochemical sensors, Au nanoparticles
could take the roles of either markers in electrochemical determination or a desirable conducting
medium for electron exchange rate facilitation [11]. Au nanomaterials of varying forms have been
presented in various publications to immobilize redox proteins, where direct electrochemistry has been
achieved. The direct electrochemistry of hemoglobin (Hb) was studied on an Au nanowire array by
Yang and co-workers [12]. To study the electrochemical performance of Hb, polyvinyl alcohol and 1-
octyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate were integrated with an Au nanoparticle by Zhang
and co-workers [13]. With Hb immobilized onto a single-dimensional Au nanoparticle, a new
amperometric biosensor was fabricated by Hong and co-workers [14]. Au nanoparticles have also been
applied in the field of electrochemical DNA biosensors. The activity concerning immobilized
biomolecules, electrocatalytic activity-induced electron exchange rate promotion, as well as the
enhancement in DNA hybridization and immobilization ability could be realized by the existence of
Au nanoparticles on the surface of an electrode [15, 16].
Int. J. Electrochem. Sci., Vol. 12, 2017 6172
2. EXPERIMENTS
2.1. Chemicals
Sigma-Aldrich Corp was the source for monoclonal mouse anti-human cardiac myoglobin (Ab-
Mb), 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), sodium borohydride (NaBH4), chloroauric acid (HAuCl4), N-
hydroxysuccinimide 98% (NHS), 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPMSi), N-(3-dimethyl
aminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC), 3-minopropyltriethoxysilane
(APTES), mouse immunoglobulin-G (Ag-IgG) and human heart tissue-derived myoglobin (Ag-Mb).
Myoglobin standards and the human myoglobin ELISA kit were purchased from Abcam (Shanghai,
China). The remaining reagents were of analytical grade and were employed with no additional
purification.
The ITO-coated glass was ultrasonically cleaned successively in Extran, acetone, ethanol,
isopropyl alcohol and DI water, with vacuum drying following each cleaning process. To raise the
number of hydroxyl groups on the surface of the ITO glass, the cleaned plates were subsequently
exposed to oxygen plasma in a plasma chamber for 5 min. This was followed by immersion of the
glass plates into a 2% ethanolic APTES solution for 90 min at room temperature to obtain APTES-
Int. J. Electrochem. Sci., Vol. 12, 2017 6173
SAM. After rinsing with ethanol, non-bonded APTES was removed from the substrate surface together
with N2 gas flow drying. Aqueous AuNPs (5 mL, 0.1 mg/mL) was added with NHS (30 mM) and EDC
(150 mM) to activate carboxyl groups. The ITO glass plates were immersed into the mixture of
functionalized and activated AuNPs for 60 min, washed with doubly distilled water, and dried under
N2 gas flow to give AuNPs/APTES/ITO. The electrode was treated overnight with PBS (pH 7.4)
containing Ab-Mb (100 μg/mL) at 4 °C. This was followed by PBS washing and N2 flow drying.
Subsequently, the incubation of the Ab-Mb-immobilized electrode was performed in a BSA solution
(1%) for 0.5 h to block the nonspecific binding sites on the surface of the electrode, followed by PBS
washing to remove any physically adsorbed antibodies. The final immunosensor, denoted as Ab-
Mb/AuNPs/APTES/ITO, was dried with N2.
An SM-240 CCD spectrophotometer (CVI Spectral Instruments, Putnam, CT, USA) was used
to characterize Au and blank nanoparticles in solution via UV–vis absorption spectra. A traditional
triple-electrode system was applied to the electrochemical measurements, where the roles of counter,
reference and working electrode were taken by platinum wire, Ag/AgCl and the prepared electrode.
Cyclic voltammetry was conducted in 10.0 mL of 0.1 M KCl containing 1.0 mM each of
Fe(CN)63− and Fe(CN)64− at a scan rate of 50 mV/s. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)
measurements with a frequency range of 1-100 kHz at an AC voltage of 0.05 V were performed in
PBS, pH 7.4, containing 0.1 M KCl and 2 mM [Fe(CN)6]3−/[Fe(CN)6]4−.
Figure 1. UV/vis spectra of the colloidal solution of Au nanoparticles in 2-propanol and the unreacted
2-propanol solution with MPMSi and AuCl4− (S/Au ratio of 1:1).
Under attenuated total reflection mode, FTIR measurement is employed to characterize Ab-
Mb/AuNPs/APTES/ITO, AuNPs/APTES/ITO and APTES/ITO. Their respective spectra are shown in
Int. J. Electrochem. Sci., Vol. 12, 2017 6175
Figure 2. A Si–O–Si characteristic band is observed at 1055 cm−1 in for APTES. C=O stretching
vibrations of the carboxylic groups of AuNPs account for the band at 1748 cm−1. The –OH bending
and stretching vibrations of carboxylic acid groups are respectively reflected by the 939 and 2962
cm−1 peaks. The N-Au vibration mode has been noticed at 1044 cm−1, suggesting the affliction of the
nitrogen and gold bonding during the synthesis process. The N–H bending and stretching vibrations
are seen in the peaks observable at 1612 and 3387 cm−1, showing successful Ab-Mb immobilization
[19].
We examined the properties of the decorated electrode surface facilely and effectively via
cyclic voltammetry measurement. Electron transfer resistance and other electron exchange rate
constants bear theoretical relation with the variations in peak current and separation of peak potentials
on varying electrode surfaces, as reflected in cyclic voltammograms (CVs). With the redox probe
consisting of a [Fe(CN)6]3 −/4 –mixture in PBS (containing 0.1 M KCl), pH of 7.4, cyclic voltammetry
was employed for the surveillance of every stage of antibody immobilization as well as ITO surface
modification. CV profiles preceding and succeeding each step of electrode surface modification are
shown in Figure 3. Ab-Mb/AuNPs/APTES/ITO is formed due to the subsequent Ab-Mb
immobilization. The original ITO exhibits a peak-to-peak separation between the oxidation and
reduction potentials (∆Ep) of 125 mV via a quasi-reversible CV. This is followed by a decline to
96 mV (∆Ep) after APTES-SAM-induced modification. These changes are attributed to an increased
interfacial concentration of the anionic probe ([Fe(CN)6]3 − /4 − ) due to its strong affinity toward the
polycationic (NH3+) layer of the amino groups of the APTES [20]. Nevertheless, with respect to
AuNPs-decorated APTES/ITO, there is a rise in peak potential and, conversely, a decline in peak
current. Both after blocking with BSA and with Ab-Mb immobilization on the AuNPs/APTES/ITO
surface, there is an additional decline in CV peak current, possibly ascribed to the generation of a
protein-antibody layer on the electrode. Herein, the route for redox probe to electrode surface is
remarkably impeded by this layer that obstructs mass-transfer and electron exchange.
This is ascribed to the interaction between antibody and antigen. The variation in specific
electron charge exchange resistance versus the logarithmic Ag-Mb concentration (10 ng/mL-1 μg/mL)
is plotted for the bioelectrode in Figure 5B, with an LOD of 2.7 ng/mL based on a signal-to-noise ratio
Int. J. Electrochem. Sci., Vol. 12, 2017 6178
of 3:1. EIS has the potential to be employed for clinical determination due to its comparatively short
experimental course time (roughly 15 min) for the entire assay, in comparison with ELISA, which
requires several days. Hence, among other recently issued polymer-based Mb sensors as well as
semiconductor/metal nanoparticle/carbon nanomaterials, the proposed bioelectrode is the most
desirable platform [8, 21, 22]. The sensing performance of the new sensor was compared with recently
reported sensors, as shown in Table 1.
Mb was determined in spiked, diluted (1:10) synthetic serum samples and EIS measurements
were performed. The linear detection range is from 50 ng/mL to 700 ng/ mL. In all measurements, the
repeatability is always less than 6%. Each target Ag-Mb with varying concentration was added for ten
diverse independently fabricated bioelectrodes. This work thus successfully assessed bioelectrode
reproducibility. Desirable preparation reproducibility as well as precision are displayed by the inter-
assay variation coefficient range of 2–12% at an individual Ag-Mb concentration. The impedance
measurements were repeatedly performed for target Ag-Mb with the same concentration on the
bioelectrode in similar conditions to examine stability. The embodiment of bioelectrode
biocompatibility in either open air or solution is indicated by the absence of observable impedimetric
response variations, even after 5 impedance measurements were conducted. The immunoreactions in
the presence of nonspecific mouse IgG under similar conditions were performed to examine the
specificity of the bioelectrode for Ag-Mb, without obvious Ret variations monitored as aliquots of IgG
was added, possibly due to the attenuated nonspecific interaction or the absence of the interaction
between antibody and antigen, thus verifying the specificity of the proposed bioelectrode.
Table 2. The contents and recoveries of Mb detected in synthetic serum samples (n=3).
Sample Added (ng/mL) Found ELISA result Recovery (%) RSD (%)
(ng/mL) (nM/mL)
1 70 68.7 69.1 98.14 3.6
2 150 154.6 147.2 98.13 2.5
3 300 309.9 295.7 103.3 1.9
4. CONCLUSIONS
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