Polyacrylic acid/polyethylene glycol hybrid antifouling interface for photoelectrochemical immunosensing of NSE based on ZnO/CdSe

In this paper, a novel photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunosensor based on ZnO/CdSe semiconductor composite material was constructed to detect neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in a super-sensitive and quantitative way. The antifouling interface composed of polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) can prevent non-specific proteins from adhering to the electrode surface. As an electron donor, ascorbic acid (AA) can increase the photocurrent's stability and intensity by clearing away photogenerated holes. Because of the specific recognition between antigen and antibody, the quantitative detection of NSE can be achieved. The PEC antifouling immunosensor based on ZnO/CdSe has a wide linear range (0.10 pg mL- 1-100 ng mL-1) and a low detection limit (34 fg mL-1), which has potential application in the clinical diagnosis of small cell lung cancer.

Automated summary

In this paper, a novel photoelectrochemical immunosensor based on a ZnO/CdSe semiconductor composite material was developed for the super-sensitive and quantitative detection of neuron-specific enolase (NSE). The antifouling interface composed of polyacrylic acid (PAA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) effectively prevented non-specific protein adsorption. Ascorbic acid (AA) served as an electron donor, enhancing the stability and intensity of photocurrent by scavenging photogenerated holes. The PEC antifouling immunosensor exhibited a wide linear range (0.10 pg mL-1-100 ng mL-1) and a low detection limit (34 fg mL-1), making it a potential tool for clinical diagnosis of small cell lung cancer.