Developing an activity detection platform for hyaluronidase
(HAase)
is crucial for diagnosing and treating cancer. However, traditional
detection of HAase is based on changes in the flow rate caused by
viscosity or requires complex modifications and processing, which
limits the detection accuracy and sensitivity. Herein, hyaluronic
acid (HA)-modified mesoporous-based heterochannels (mesoporous carbon-doped
γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles/anodized aluminum
oxide, MC-γ-Fe2O3/AAO) featuring ordered
3D transport frameworks and a photothermal property were developed
for high performance HAase detection. The HA molecules on the surface
of the mesoporous layer provide abundant active sites for HAase detection.
An improved ionic current was realized after enzymatic hydrolysis
reactions between HA and HAase due to enhanced surface charges and
more hydrophilicity, leading to highly sensitive and accurate HAase
detection. Notably, the detection performance can be further upgraded
with the assistance of the photothermal property of γ-Fe2O3. An amplified detection current signal was achieved
owing to a synergistic effect between ion currents and photoresponsive
currents. A wide linear detection range from 1 to 50 U/mL and a low
detection limit of 0.348 U/mL were obtained, achieving a 2% improvement
under illumination. Importantly, the heterochannels have also been
successfully applied for HAase detection in fetal bovine serum samples,
manifesting considerable application prospects. This work provides
a new strategy in constructing photoresponsive nanochannels with a
photothermal property for a highly efficient biosensing platform.