Multi-engineered Graphene Extended-Gate Field-Effect Transistor for Peroxynitrite Sensing in Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

The expression of β-amyloid peptides (Aβ), a pathological indicator of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), was reported to be inapparent in the early stage of AD. While peroxynitrite (ONOO–) is produced excessively and emerges earlier than Aβ plaques in the progression of AD, it is thus significant to sensitively detect ONOO– for early diagnosis of AD and its pathological research. Herein, we unveiled an integrated sensor for monitoring ONOO–, which consisted of a commercially available field-effect transistor (FET) and a high-performance multi-engineered graphene extended-gate (EG) electrode. In the configuration of the presented EG electrode, laser-induced graphene (LIG) intercalated with MnO2 nanoparticles (MnO2/LIG) can improve the electrical properties of LIG and the sensitivity of the sensor, and graphene oxide (GO)-MnO2/Hemin nanozyme with ONOO– isomerase activity can selectively trigger the isomerization of ONOO– to NO3 –. With this synergistic effect, our EG-FET sensor can respond to the ONOO– with high sensitivity and selectivity. Moreover, taking advantage of our EG-FET sensor, we modularly assembled a portable sensing platform for wireless tracking ONOO– levels in the brain tissue of AD transgenic mice at earlier stages before massive Aβ plaques appeared, and we systematically explored the complex role of ONOO– in the occurrence and development of AD.