Controlling the electrochemical deposition of silver onto gold nanoparticles: Reducing interferences and increasing the sensitivity of magnetoimmuno assays

An electrocatalytical method induced by gold nanoparticles in order to improve the sensitivity of the magnetoimmunosensing technology is reported. Microparamagnetic beads as primary antibodies immobilization platforms and gold nanoparticles modified with secondary antibodies as high sensitive electrocatalytical labels are used. A built-in magnet carbon electrode allows the collection/immobilization on its surface of the microparamagnetic beads with the immunological sandwich and gold nanoparticle catalysts attached onto. The developed magnetoimmunosensing technology allows the antigen detection with an enhanced sensitivity due to the catalytic effect of gold nanoparticles on the electroreduction of silver ions. The main parameters that affect the different steps of the developed assay are optimized so as to reach a high sensitive electrochemical detection of the protein. The low levels of gold nanoparticles detected with this method allow the obtaining of a novel immunosensor with low protein detection limits (up to 23 fg/mL), with special interest for further applications in clinical analysis, food quality and safety as well as other industrial applications. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.