A new electrochemical immunosensor for the determination of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) based on bio-electrocatalytic reaction was proposed. An imidazolium cation room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIm][BF 4 ]), was initially immobilized on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) through titania sol and Nafion film, then nanogold particles were adsorbed onto the titania surface, and then horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled anti-AFB 1 antibodies (HRP-anti-AFB 1 ) were attached on the nanogold surface. With a non-competitive immunoassay format, the formation of the antibody-antigen complex by a simple one-step immunoreaction between the immobilized HRP-anti-AFB 1 and AFB 1 in sample solution introduced a barrier of direct electrical communication between the immobilized HRP and the electrode surface, thus local current variations could be detected by the HRP bio-electrocatalytic reaction in 0.1 M PBS (pH 6.8) containing 0.28 M H 2 O 2 . Under optimal conditions, the electrochemical immunosensor exhibited a good current response relative to AFB 1 concentration in a linear range from 0.1 to 12 ng/mL with a relatively low detection limit of 0.05 ng/mL at 3d. The inter-assay coefficients of variation are 7.1% and 5.4% for 1.0 ng/mL and 8.0 AFB 1 , respectively. Naturally contaminated samples were screened with the developed immunosensor, and results were compared with those obtained by validated ELISA method. The assay was demonstrated to be accurate and reliable giving no false compliant and only a low percentage of false non-compliant results. The described method offers a simple, rapid and cost-effective screening tool, thus contributing to a better consumers' health protection.

A new approach toward the development of advanced immunosensors based on chemically functionalized core-shell-shell magnetic nanocomposite particles, and the preparation, characteristics, and measurement of relevant properties of the immunosensor useful for the detection of alpha-1-fetoprotein (AFP) in clinical immunoassays. The core-shell NiFe2O4/3-aminopropyltriethoxysilance (APTES) (NiFe2O4@APTES) was initially prepared by covalent conjugation, then gold nanoparticles were adsorbed onto the surface of NiFe2O4@APTES, and then anti-AFP molecules were conjugated on the gold nanoparticles. The core-shell-shell nanocomposite particles not only had the properties of magnetic nanoparticles, but also provided a good biocompatibility for the immobilization of biomolecules. The core-shell-shell nanostructure present good magnetic properties to facilitate and modulate the way it was integrated into a carbon paste. The analytical performance of the immunosensor was investigated by using an electrochemical method. Under optimal conditions, the resulting composite presents good electrochemical response for the detection of AFP, and exhibits wide linear range from 0.9 to 110 ng/mL AFP with a detection limit of 0.5 ng/mL. Moreover, the proposed immunosensors were used to analyze AFP in human serum specimens. Analytical results, obtained for the clinical serum specimen by the developed immunosensor, were in accordance with those assayed by the standard ELISA. Importantly, the proposed immunoassay system could be further developed for the immobilization of other antigens or biocompounds.