An electrochemical sandwich immunosensor for cardiac troponin I by using nitrogen/sulfur co-doped graphene oxide modified with Au@Ag nanocubes as amplifiers.

A voltammetric sandwich immunoassay is described for the biomarker cardiac troponin I (cTnI). The gold nanocube-functionalized graphene oxide (AuNC/GO) is employed as a substrate to accelerate the electron transfer and to immobilize more primary antibodies. It also employs composite materials prepared from bimetallic gold/silver core-shell nanocubes and nitrogen and sulfur co-doped reduced graphene oxide as the signal amplifier. The introduction of N and S into GO enlarges the active surface and accelerates the electron transfer rate. Such unique characteristics render the material an effective support substrate to load more Au@AgNC and to immobilize an increasing number of second antibodies via Ag-N bonds. After specific binding with cTnI, the immunosensor was incubated in a labeled cTnI secondary antibody solution. The amperometric signal change is then measured at 0.34 V (vs. SCE) using o-phenylenediamine and hydrogen peroxide as an electrochemical probe. Response is linear in the concentration range from 100 fg∙mL to 250 ng∙mL, and the detection limit is 33 fg∙mL. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) electrochemical immunosensor based on gold nanocube-functionalized graphene oxide (AuNC/GO) as substrate material, bimetallic gold/silver core-shell nanocubes and nitrogen and sulfur co-doped reduced graphene oxide (Au@AgNC/N, S-rGO) as signal amplifier, and hydrogen peroxide (HO) and o-phenylenediamine (o-PD) as redox probe.