Medically, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) as a specific tumor marker
has become an important indicator to diagnose small-cell lung carcinoma.
In this study, a sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor was designed
to determine NSE sensitively. Au nanoparticle (Au NP)-embedded zinc-based
metal–organic frameworks (Au@MOFs) were prepared as the substrate
materials to modify the electrode and immobilize the primary antibody
(Ab1). The Au@MOFs with the free amino groups on the MOF
surface could effectively increase the immobilization amount of Ab1 through covalent linkage. Simultaneously, the embedding of
Au NPs improved the conductivity of MOFs and accelerated interface
electron transfer. Sub-30 nm trimetallic Au@Pd^Pt nanocubes (Au@Pd^Pt
NCs) loaded onto ultrathin MnO2 nanosheets (MnO2 UNs/Au@Pd^Pt NCs) acted as the labels of secondary antibodies. The
small-size Au@Pd^Pt NCs enhanced atomic utilization efficiency and
offered more catalytic active sites. The MnO2 UNs with
high external surface areas could improve the dispersion of Au@Pd^Pt
NCs. The MnO2 UNs/Au@Pd^Pt NCs could catalyze the H2O2 reduction and promote the oxidation of hydroquinone
to quinone effectively because of their synergistic effect; thus,
the generated quinone achieved amplification of the highly reductive
peak current. Furthermore, under the optimal conditions, the immunosensor
exhibited a low detection limit (4.17 fg/mL) and broad linear range
(10 fg/mL to 100 ng/mL). The results were satisfactory for NSE detection
in human serum samples, implying that the presented method had great
application potential in clinical bioanalysis.
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