Biocatalyst and colorimetric biosensor of carcinoembryonic antigen constructed via chicken egg white-copper phosphate organic/inorganic hybrid nanoflowers

Abstract

In this article, the dual-functional chicken egg white-copper phosphate organic-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers (Cu-NFs), combining the functions of signal amplification and biological recognition, were prepared through a simple one-pot method. The Cu-NFs exhibit excellent biocatalytic activity of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase. Besides, a biotin-labeled secondary antibody encapsulated Cu-NFs-2 (Cu-NFs-2@Biotin-NHS-Ab2) capture probe was prepared by using the interaction between avidin in the egg white and biotin. Based upon this superiority, the as-prepared Cu-NFs-2 were used in labeled avidin-biotin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Cu-NFs-2 based-LAB-ELISA) to construct a sensitive colorimetric biosensor for the ultrasensitive detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Under weak alkaline (pH = 7.5) conditions, the as-developed colorimetric sensor displayed a wide linear range of 0.05–40 ng/mL with a detection limit of 3.52 pg/mL. Furthermore, this colorimetric sensor has been successfully applied to the detection of CEA in human serum samples. Therefore, the as-developed colorimetric sensor has broad application prospects in the field of medical diagnosis and portable detection.