3D Stochastic Microsensors Based on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Decorated with Gold Nanoparticles for Molecular Recognition and Determination of Heregulin-α and HER Family (HER1–4) in Biological Samples

Abstract

Four 3D stochastic microsensors based on single-walled carbon nanotubes decorated with gold nanoparticles and modified with inulins were designed and used for the simultaneous molecular recognition and quantification of heregulin-α and HER family (HER1–4) in tumor brain tissue and whole blood samples. The proposed microsensors presented limits of determination of fg ml−1 magnitude order: for heregulin-α 4.1fg ml−1, for HER1 and HER2 3.9fg ml−1, and for HER3 and HER4 1.0fg ml−1 and wide linear concentration ranges: for heregulin-α 4.10 × 10−9–1.28 × 10−5 μg ml−1, for HER1 and HER2 3.90 × 10−9–3.90 × 10−5 μg ml−1, for HER3 1.00 × 10−9–1.00 × 10−6 μg ml−1, and for HER4 1.00 × 10−9–1.00 × 10−5 μg ml−1. Recoveries higher than 95.00, and %, RSD lower than 1.00 were recorded for the assay of heregulin-α and HER family (HER1–4) when screenings of whole blood and tissue samples were performed.