Label-free electrochemical biosensor based on dual amplification of gold nanoparticles and polycaprolactones for CEA detection

Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA), an acidic glycoprotein with human embryonic antigen properties, is found on the surface of cancer cells that have differentiated from endodermal cells. This paper presents a label-free electrochemical immunoassay for the dual amplification detection of CEA using gold nanoparticles loaded with polypyrrole polydopamine (Au/PPy-PDA) and polymerized polycaprolactone (Ng-PCL) prepared by ring-opening polymerization (ROP). First, the composite Au/PPy-PDA was adhered to the electrode surface. Then, gold nanoparticles form a Au–S bond with the sulfhydryl group in Apt1 to secure it on the electrode surface. Subsequently, the non-specific binding sites on the electrodes surface are closed by bovine serum albumin (BSA). Next, CEA is dropped onto the electrode surface, which is immobilized by antigen-antibody specific recognition, and the carboxyl-functionalized Apt2 forms a "sandwich structure" of antibody-antigen-antibody by specific recognition. Polymeric Ng-PCL is adhered to the electrode surface, leading to an increase in the electrochemical impedance signal, resulting in a complete chain of signal analysis. Finally, the response signal is detected by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Under optimal experimental conditions, the method has the advantages of high sensitivity and wide linear range (1 pg mL−1∼100 ng mL−1), and the lower limit of detection (LOD) is 0.234 pg mL−1. And it has the same high sensitivity, selectivity and interference resistance for the real samples detection. Thus, it provides a new way of thinking about biomedical and clinical diagnosis. Construction principle of label-free electrochemical biosensor based on dual amplification of gold nanoparticles and polycaprolactones for CEA detection. [Display omitted] •The method utilizes Au/PPy-PDA nanocomposites and Ng-PCL polymers as dual signal amplification for CEA detection.•Label-free electrochemical biosensors have the advantages of simple instrumentation, fast response and high sensitivity.•This electrochemical biosensor showed good performance in actual sample detection of CEA.•The proposed sensor has high sensitivity, strong selectivity, good stability and low cost.