A novel strategy for sensitive detection of biomarkers using horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-functionalized silica nanoparticles as the label is presented. The enzyme-functionalized silica nanoparticles were fabricated by coimmobilization of HRP and alpha-fetoprotein antibody (anti-AFP, the secondary antibody, Ab2), a model protein, onto the surface of SiO(2) nanoparticles using gamma-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPMS) as the linkage. Through "sandwiched" immunoreaction, the enzyme-functionalized silica nanoparticle labels were brought close to the surface of gold substrates, as confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. Enhanced detection sensitivity was achieved where the large surface area of SiO(2) nanoparticle carriers increased the amount of HRP bound per sandwiched immunoreaction. The electrochemical and chemiluminescence measurement showed 29.5- and 61-fold increases in detection signals, respectively, in comparison with the traditional sandwich immunoassay. The improved particle synthesis using a "seed-particle growth" route yielded particles of narrow size distribution, which allowed consistent loading of HRP and anti-AFP on each microsphere and ensured subsequent immunosensing possessed high sensitivity and reproducibility. This strategy was successfully demonstrated as a simple, cost-effective, specific, and potent method to detect AFP in practical samples.

To the best of our knowledge, this was the first report on the integration of a signal amplification strategy into a microfluidic paper-based electrochemical immunodevice for the multiplexed measurement of cancer biomarkers. Signal amplification was achieved through the use of graphene to modify the immunodevice surface to accelerate the electron transfer and the use of silica nanoparticles as a tracing tag to label the signal antibodies. Accurate, rapid, simple, and inexpensive point-of-care electrochemical immunoassays were demonstrated using a photoresist-patterned microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD). Using the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-O-phenylenediamine-H2O2 electrochemical detection system, the potential clinical applicability of this immunodevice was demonstrated through its ability to identify four candidate cancer biomarkers in serum samples from cancer patients. The novel signal-amplified strategy proposed in this report greatly enhanced the sensitivity of the detection of cancer biomarkers. In addition, the electrochemical immunodevice exhibited good stability, reproducibility, and accuracy and thus had potential applications in clinical diagnostics.

A novel signal amplification strategy for electrochemical detection of DNA and proteins based on the amplification-by-polymerization concept is described. Specifically, a controlled radical polymerization reaction is triggered after the capture of target molecules on the electrode surface. Growth of long chain polymeric materials provides numerous sites for subsequent aminoferrocene coupling, which in turn significantly enhances electrochemical signal output. Activators generated electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization (AGET ATRP) is used in this study for its high efficiency in polymer grafting and better tolerance toward oxygen in air. 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) are examined to provide excess hydroxyl or epoxy groups for aminoferrocene coupling. A limit of detection of 15 pM and 0.07 ng/mL is demonstrated for DNA and ovalbumin, respectively. More than 7-fold signal enhancement in ovalbumin detection has been achieved comparing to the unamplified method. In addition, a more than 5 orders of magnitude of dynamic range is achieved with a linear correlation coefficient (R(2)) of 0.997 for DNA, and a more than 3 orders of magnitude with R(2) of 0.999 for ovalbumin. Together, the results show that the coupling of amplification-by-polymerization concept with electrochemical detection offers great promises in providing a sensitive and cost-effective solution for biosensing applications.

Nanochannels based on smart DNA hydrogels as stimulus-responsive architecture are presented for the first time. In contrast to other responsive molecules existing in the nanochannel in monolayer configurations, the DNA hydrogels are three-dimensional networks with space negative charges, the ion flux and rectification ratio are significantly enhanced. Upon cyclic treatment with K ions and crown ether, the DNA hydrogel states could be reversibly switched between less stiff and stiff networks, providing the gating mechanism of the nanochannel. Based on the architecture of DNA hydrogels and pH stimulus, cation or anion transport direction could be precisely controlled and multiple gating features are achieved. Meanwhile, G-quadruplex DNA in the hydrogels might be replaced by other stimulus-responsive DNA molecules, peptides, or proteins, and thus this work opens a new route for improving the functionalities of nanochannel by intelligent hydrogels.

MiRNAs are an emerging type of biomarker for diagnostics and prognostics. A reliable sensing strategy that can monitor miRNA expression in living cancer cells would be critical in view of its extensive advantages for fundamental research related to miRNA-associated bioprocesses and biomedical applications. Conventional miRNA sensing methods include northern blot, microarrays and real-time quantitative PCR. However, none of them is able to monitor miRNA levels expressed in living cancer cells in a real-time fashion. Some fluorescennt biosensors developed recently from carbon nanomaterials, such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), graphene oxide (GO), and carbon nanoparticles, have been successfully used for assaying miRNA in vitro; however the preparation processes are often expensive, complicated and time-consuming, which have motivated the research on other substitute and novel materials. Herein we present a novel sensing strategy based on peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes labeled with fluorophores and conjugated with an NMOF vehicle to monitor multiplexed miRNAs in living cancer cells. The NMOF works as a fluorescence quencher of the labelled PNA that is firmly bound with the metal center. In the presence of a target miRNA, PNA is hybridized and released from the NMOF leading to the recovery of fluorescence. This miRNA sensor not only enables the quantitative and highly specific detection of multiplexed miRNAs in living cancer cells, but it also allows the precise and in situ monitoring of the spatiotemporal changes of miRNA expression.

A dual signal amplification immunosensing strategy that offers high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of low-abundance tumor cells was designed. High sensitivity was achieved by using graphene to modify the immunosensor surface to accelerate electron transfer and quantum dot (QD)-coated silica nanoparticles as tracing tags. High specificity was further obtained by the simultaneous measurement of two disease-specific biomarkers on the cell surface using different QD-coated silica nanoparticle tracers. The immunosensor was constructed by covalently immobilized capture antibodies on a chitosan/electrochemically reduced graphene oxide film-modified glass carbon electrode. Cells were captured with a sandwich-type immunoreaction and the different QD-coated silica nanoparticle tracers were captured on the surface of the cells. Each biorecognition event yields a distinct voltammetric peak, which position and size reflects the corresponding identity and amount of the respective antigen. This strategy was vividly demonstrated by the simultaneous immunoassay of EpCAM and GPC3 antigens on the surface of the human liver cancer cell line Hep3B using anti-EpCAM-CdTe- and anti-GPC3-ZnSe-coated silica nanoparticle tracers. The two tracers gave comparable sensitivity, and the immunosensor exhibited high sensitivity and specificity with excellent stability, reproducibility, and accuracy, indicating its wide range of potential applications in clinical and molecular diagnostics.

It is urgent yet challenging to develop photocatalysts for visible-light-driven CO 2 reduction with high efficiency and selectivity. Here, we report a novel hybrid catalyst by coordinating zero-dimensional (0D) carbon nitride quantum dots (g-CNQDs) with two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin porphyrin MOF (PMOF). Different from previously reported hybrid catalysts combined through physical or electrostatic interactions, in our prepared g-CNQDs/PMOF hybrids, g-CNQDs are coordinated with Co active sites in PMOF, which significantly shortens the migrating pathway of both photogenerated charge carriers and gaseous substrates from g-CNQDs to Co active centers. The resulting efficient electron−hole pair separation and long-lived trapped electrons at Co centers not only boost the photocatalytic CO 2 reduction activity but also improve its selectivity for the eight-electron reduced product CH 4 . To our knowledge, this is the first example of a hybrid catalyst combined through coordination interaction. Remarkably, the prepared hybrid catalyst exhibits a 2.34-fold enhancement in the CO generation rate (16.10 μmol g −1 h −1 ) and a 6.02-fold enhancement in the CH 4 evolution rate (6.86 μmol g −1 h −1 ) compared to the bare PMOF.

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