title: Sol-gel-derived thick-film amperometric immunosensors.
abstract: Sol-gel processing is used for the first time for the preparation of electrochemical immunosensors. One-step sensor fabrication, based on the coupling of sol-gel and screen-printing technologies, is employed. A low-temperature cured ink is prepared by dispersion of rabbit immunoglobulin G (RIgG), graphite powder, and a binder in the sol-gel solution. The enzyme-labeled antibody can readily diffuse toward the encapsulated antigen, which retains its binding properties, and the association reaction is easily detected at the dispersed graphite surface. Use of anti-RIgG labeled with alkaline phosphatase, naphthyl phosphate as the substrate, and amperometric detection at +400 mV (vs Ag/AgCl) results in a low detection limit of 5 ng/mL (32 pM) for the solution antigen. Tailoring the porosity of the ceramic-carbon matrix can be used for tuning the assay performance. The high sensitivity, low cost, durability, and simplicity of the new single-use immunosensors make them well suited for various on-site applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces 88003, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: P V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Pamidi
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D004566:Electrodes; D011817:Rabbits