Magnetic photoelectrochemical sensor array utilizing addressing sensing strategy for simultaneous detection of amyloid-β 42 and microtubule-associated protein tau

Abstract

The accurate diagnosis of diseases can be improved by detecting multiple biomarkers simultaneously. This study presents the development of a magnetic photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunosensor array for the simultaneous detection of amyloid-β 42 (Aβ) and microtubule-associated protein (Tau), which are markers for neurodegenerative disorders. A metal-organic framework (MOF) derivative, Fe2O3@FeS2 magnetic composites with exceptional photoelectric and ferromagnetic properties was synthesized while preserving the original structure and advantages. Thus, the immunoassembly process of the sensor can be carried out in homogeneous solution and recovered by magnetic separation. For simultaneous detection, a chip is divided into multiple independent sensing sites, which have the same preparation and detection environment, allowing for the implementation of a self-calibration method. The sensor array demonstrates considerable detection ranges of 0.01–100 ng mL−1 for Aβ and 0.05–100 ng mL−1 for Tau, with low detection limits of 2.1 pg mL−1 for Aβ and 7.9 pg mL−1 for Tau. The PEC sensor array proposed in this study exhibits exceptional stability, selectivity, and reproducibility, providing a new method for detecting multiple markers.