Silver nanoparticle doped graphene-based impedimetric biosensor towards sensitive detection of procalcitonin

Abstract

In the early detection of sepsis, procalcitonin (PCT) appears to be a highly sensitive biomarker for severe inflammation and infection. A significant interaction between the electrode material to be used in the design of the biosensor and the material to be attached to the surface is of great importance. Here, we demonstrated a silver nanoparticle (AgNp) doped graphene-based sensitive PCT biosensor with low-cost, environmentally friendly materials. Cyclic voltammetry curves showing the reusability of the electrodes obtained were obtained and showed antibody-protein adhesion on the AgNp/SLG@ITO surface. The anodic and cathodic peak currents values after 20 cycles show that these values are suitable even after 20 measurements. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies confirmed the effects of PCT on binding events due to increasing concentration at a constant PCT-antibody concentration. The limit of detection (LOD) value of the fabricated PCT/Ab/AgNp/SLG@ITO impedimetric biosensor was determined as 0.55 ngmL−1. The low LOD value can be attributed to the uniform and large surface area of single-layer graphene (SLG) and noble AgNp. The LOD value based on the EIS studies has revealed that the PCT/Ab/AgNp/SLG@ITO impedimetric biosensor can be employed in real samples.