A simple and ultrasensitive label-free electrochemical impedimetric aptasensor for thrombin based on the cascaded signal amplification was reported. The sandwich system of aptamer/thrombin/aptamer-functionalized Au nanoparticles (Apt-AuNPs) was fabricated as the sensing platform. The change of the interfacial feature of the electrode was characterized by electrochemical impedance analysis with the redox probe [Fe(CN)(6)](3-/4-). For improving detection sensitivity, the three-level cascaded impedimetric signal amplification was developed: (1) Apt-AuNPs as the first-level signal enhancer; (2) the steric-hindrance between the enlarged Apt-AuNPs as the second-level signal amplification; (3) the electrostatic-repulsion between sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) stabilized Apt-AuNPs and the redox probe [Fe(CN)(6)](3-/4-) as the third-level signal amplification. Enlargement of Apt-AuNPs integrated with negatively charged surfactant (SDS) capping could not only improve the detection sensitivity of the impedimetric aptasensor for thrombin but also present a simple and general signal-amplification model for impedimetric sensor. The aptasensor based on the enlargement of negatively charged Apt-AuNPs showed an increased response of the electron-transfer resistance to the increase of thrombin concentration through a wide detection range from 100 fM to 100 nM. The linear detection range was 0.05-35 nM, and thrombin was easily detectable to a concentration of 100 fM. The aptasensor also has good selectivity and reproducibility.

No abstract

The high sensitivity (260.75 mA mM−1) detection of an extremely low concentration (300 nM) glucose solution is demonstrated by the bilayer MoS2 FET based biosensor.

A novel one-dimensional (1-D) caterpillar-like manganese dioxide-carbon (MnO(2)-C) nanocomposite has been synthesized by a direct redox reaction between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and permanganate ions for the first time. The as-prepared nanostructured MnO(2)-C composite mainly consisting of ε-MnO(2) nanoflakes had a unique microstructure, high specific surface area (200 m(2) g(-1)) and favourable conductivity. The nanostructured MnO(2)-C composite, added as a modification to the glassy carbon (GC) electrode via a direct electrochemical co-deposition process with a chitosan hydrogel, was found to exhibit excellent catalytic activity toward L-cysteine electro-oxidation because the specific interaction between the -SH group of L-cysteine and solid MnO(2) occurred to form surface complexes. A determination of L-cysteine at the MnO(2)-C/chitosan/GC (MnO(2)-C/chit/GC) electrode was carried out by amperometric measurement. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the detection response for L-cysteine was fast (within 7 s). The logarithm of catalytic currents shows a good linear relationship with that of the L-cysteine concentration in the range of 0.5-680 μM (R = 0.9986), with a low detection limit of 22 nM. The MnO(2)-C/Chit/GC electrode exhibited excellent stability (without any decrease of the response signal after 1 month) and admirable resistance against interference like glutathione and other oxidizable amino acids (tryptophan, tyrosine, L-lysine and methionine).