Zinc Sensing Advancements for Prostate Cancer Detection: Insights from Zincon-MoS2 Electrochemical Characterization

Abstract

Epidemiological research has illuminated the pivotal role of zinc (Zn) in prostate cancer detection. Among its noteworthy attributes, a healthy prostate is characterized by a higher zinc content, while in a malignant prostate, there is a marked decrease in zinc aggregation. Electrochemical sensing techniques have proven to be valuable in studying zinc behaviour; In this study, we examined the electrochemical characteristics of a glassy carbon electrode that underwent modification with Zincon-MoS2. Our primary objective was to achieve a sensitive and selective approach for detecting zinc in the context of prostate cancer. The synthesis of the Zincon-MoS2 composite was executed through hydrothermal, and subsequent chemical functionalization with zinc was employed to augment its affinity for zinc ions. Conducting cyclic voltammetry measurements, we sought to gain deeper electrochemical insights when exposed to zinc ions. The Zincon-MoS2-modified electrode that we created exhibited exceptional electrochemical capabilities for precisely detecting zinc. We studied the behaviour of MoS2 sheet on microlevel and rest of the studies are done on nano dimensions. We reported 0.912 μM Limit of detection which is quite low then the limit of the zinc concentration in healthy prostate i.e 12 μM. Additionally, the limit of quantification was calculated to be 3.04 μM, indicating the minimum detectable concentration of zinc. The sensitivity of the sensor was found to be 0.086 μAmp/nM-cm2, emphasizing its ability to detect zinc accurately. Furthermore, the effect of pH variations in the electrolyte on the maximum current levels was studied, providing valuable information on the response of the sensor under different physiological conditions. The electrochemical insights obtained through this investigation contribute to a deeper understanding of zinc behaviour in prostate cancer.