Highly sensitive electrochemiluminescence detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms based on isothermal cycle-assisted triple-stem probe with dual-nanoparticle label

We report here a new electrochemiluminescence (ECL) approach for detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on isothermal cycle-assisted triple-stem probe labeled with Au nanoparticles (NPs) and CdTe NPs. The system is composed of a CdS nanocrystals (NCs) film on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) as ECL emitter attached a double-stem DNA probe labeled with Au NPs. Then, the third stem labeled with CdTe NPs hybridizes with the double-stem DNA to form a triple-stem probe with the two labels near the CdS NCs film. A dual-quenched ECL of CdS NCs film is achieved due to energy transfer (ET) from CdS NCs to Au NPs and CdTe NPs, which makes the sensor exhibit relatively low background. Once the one base mutant DNA (mDNA) sequence as target of SNPs analysis displaces the third stem and hybridizes with the double-stem probe, forcing Au NPs away from the CdS NCs film, an ECL enhancement by the ECL-induced surface plasmon resonance of Au NPs is observed. Furthermore, after an isothermal cycle induced by primer, polymerase, and nicking endonuclease (NEase), a further enhancement of ECL is obtained. Taking advantages of the isothermal circular amplification system and the triple-stem probe architecture which enables turning its high selectivity toward specific target sequences, the reported biosensor shows excellent discrimination capabilities of SNPs with high selectivity and low detection limit (35 aM).     

Electrochemiluminescence immunosensor based on CdSe nanocomposites

A novel strategy for the enhancement of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) was developed by combining CdSe nanocrystals (NCs), carbon nanotube-chitosan (CNT-CHIT), and 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APS). A label-free ECL immunosensor for the sensitive detection of human IgG (HIgG) was fabricated. The colloidal solution containing CdSe NCs/CNT-CHIT composite was first covered on the Au electrode surface to form a robust film, which showed high ECL intensity and good biocompatibility. After APS as a cross-linker was covalently conjugated to the CdSe NCs/CNT-CHIT film, the ECL intensity was greatly enhanced. And, an intensity about 20-fold higher than that of the CdSe NCs/CNT-CHIT film was observed. After antibody was bound to the functionalized film via glutaric dialdehyde (GLD), the modified electrode could be used as an ECL immunosensor for the detection of HIgG. The specific immunoreaction between HIgG and antibody resulted in the decrease in ECL intensity. The ECL intensity decreased linearly with HIgG concentration in the range of 0.02-200 ng mL(-1), and the detection limit was 0.001 ng mL(-1). The immunosensor has the advantages of high sensitivity, speed, specificity, and stability and could become a promising technique for protein detection.     

Gold nanoparticle enhanced electrochemiluminescence of CdS thin films for ultrasensitive thrombin detection

Interactions between surface plasmons (SP) of metallic surfaces and photoluminescence (PL) of semiconductor nanocrystal (S-NC) surfaces have been extensively investigated, and SP-induced PL enhancement has been used as a sensitive analytical technique. However, this SP induced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) enhancement is rarely studied. In this work, we report greatly enhanced ECL of CdS thin films by gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) for ultrasensitive detection of thrombin. The system was composed of a CdS NC film on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) as ECL emitter attached an aptamer of thrombin. Then, ssDNA-AuNP conjugates hybridized with the aptamer to form a separation length of ca. 12 nm between CdS NCs and Au NPs. The system showed 5-fold enhancement of ECL intensity as compared to that without Au NPs, which might be attributed to the long-distance interaction between the S-NCs and SPR field of noble metal nanoparticles (MNPs).We also found that the enhanced ECL could be influenced by the involving factors such as the separation distance, spectral overlap, and magnetic field. Such enhancement in combination with smart recognition of aptamer and target protein allowed us to construct an ultrasensitive aptasensor for attomolar detection of thrombin. The presence of target protein was reflected by the ECL signal decrease caused by the target-induced removal of ssDNA-AuNP conjugates. The decrease of ECL signal was logarithmically linear with the concentration of thrombin in a wide range from 100 aM to 100 fM. The principle described in this work could be also applied to many other bioassays.     

Ultrasensitive immunoassay of protein biomarker based on electrochemiluminescent quenching of quantum dots by hemin bio-bar-coded nanoparticle tags

A hemin bio-bar-coded nanoparticle probe labeled antibody was designed by the assembly of antibody and alkylthiol-capped bar-code G-quadruplex DNA on gold nanoparticles and the interaction of hemin with the DNA to form a G-quadruplex/hemin bio-bar-code. An ultrasensitive immunoassay method was developed by combining the labeled antibody with an electrochemiluminescent (ECL) immunosensor for protein. The ECL immunosensor was constructed by a layer-by-layer modification of carbon nanotubes, CdS quantum dots (QDs), and capture antibody on a glassy carbon electrode. In air-saturated pH 8.0 PBS the immunosensor showed a carbon-nanotube-enhanced cathodic ECL emission of QDs. Upon the formation of immunocomplex, the ECL intensity decreased owing to the consumption of ECL coreactant in bio-bar-code electrocatalyzed reduction of dissolved oxygen. Using α-fetoprotein as model analyte, the quenched ECL could be used for immunoassay with a linear range of 0.01 pg mL(-1) to 1 ng mL(-1) and a detection limit of 1.0 fg mL(-1). The wide detection range and high sensitivity resulted from the enhanced ECL emission and highly efficient catalysis of the bio-bar-code. The immunosensor exhibited good stability and acceptable fabrication reproducibility and accuracy, showing great promise for clinical application.     

4-(Dimethylamino)butyric acid labeling for electrochemiluminescence detection of biological substances by increasing sensitivity with gold nanoparticle amplification

4-(Dimethylamino)butyric acid (DMBA) labeling combined with gold nanoparticle amplification for electrochemiluminescence (ECL) determination of a biological substance (bovine serum albumin (BSA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) as models) was presented. After DMBA, an analogue of tripropylamine, was tagged on the (anti)analytes, an ECL signal related to the content of the analytes was generated when the analyte tagged with DMBA was in contact with tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium (Ru(bpy)(3)2+) solution and a potential was applied. To improve the adsorption capacity, a gold nanoparticle layer was first combined into the surface of the 2-mm-diameter gold electrode. For the determination of BSA, avidin was covalently conjugated to a self-assembled monolayer of 3-mercaptopropanoic acid on the gold nanoparticle layer. Biotinylated BSA-DMBA was then immobilized on the gold nanoparticle layer of the gold electrode via the avidin-biotin reaction. IgG was tested via a typical sandwich-type immobilization method. ECL signals were generated from the electrodes immobilized with BSA or IgG by immersing them in a 1 mmol L-1 Ru(bpy)(3)2+ solution and scanning from 0.5 to 1.3 V versus Ag/AgCl. With gold nanoparticle amplification, the ECL peak intensity was proportional to the concentration over the range 1-80 and 5-100 microg/mL for BSA and IgG consuming 50 microL of sample, respectively. A 10- and 6-fold sensitivity enhancement was obtained for BSA and IgG over their direct immobilization on an electrode using DMBA labeling. The relative standard deviations of five replicate determinations of 10 microg/mL BSA and 20 microg/mL IgG were 8.4 and 10.2%, respectively. High biocompatibility and low cost were the main advantages of the present DMBA labeling technique over the traditional Ru(bpy)(3)2+ labeling.     

Multichannel electrochemiluminescence of luminol in neutral and alkaline aqueous solutions on a gold nanoparticle self-assembled electrode

The electrochemiluminescence (ECL) behavior of luminol on a gold nanoparticle self-assembled electrode in neutral and alkaline pH conditions was studied under conventional cyclic voltammetry (CV). The gold nanoparticle self-assembled electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic property and redox reactivity to the luminol ECL system. In neutral solution, four ECL peaks were observed at 0.69, 1.03, -0.45, and -1.22 V (vs SCE) on the curve of ECL intensity versus potential. Compared with a bulk gold electrode, two anodic and one cathodic ECL peaks were greatly enhanced, and one new cathodic ECL peak appeared. In alkaline solution, two anodic ECL peaks were obtained at 0.69 and 1.03 V, which were much stronger than those on a bulk gold electrode. These ECL peaks were found to depend on gold nanoparticles on the surface of the electrode, potential scan direction and range, the presence of O(2) or N(2), the pH and concentration of luminol solution, NaBr concentration, and scan rate. The emitter of all ECL peaks was identified as 3-aminophthalate by analyzing the ECL spectra. The spatial distribution of the luminol ECL peaks on the gold nanoparticle self-assembled electrode was studied by CCD. The surface state of the gold nanoparticle self-assembled electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-visible reflection spectra. The mechanism for the formation of these ECL peaks has been proposed. The results indicate that the gold nanoparticle self-assembled electrode could lead to novel ECL properties, and strong luminol ECL in neutral and alkaline solutions could be obtained on such an electrode, which is of great analytical potential.     

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence DNA biosensor based on hairpin DNA probe labeled with ruthenium complex

A highly selective electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor for the detection of target single-strand DNA (ss-DNA) was developed using hairpin DNA as the recognition element and ruthenium complex as the signal-producing compound. The ECL-based DNA biosensor was fabricated by self-assembling the ECL probe of thiolated hairpin DNA tagged with ruthenium complex on the surface of a gold electrode. In the absence of target ss-DNA, the ECL probe immobilized on the surface of the electrode was in the folded configuration in which its termini were held in close proximity to the electrode, and thus a strong ECL signal could be generated. In the presence of target ss-DNA, a stem-loop of the ECL probe on the electrode was converted into a linear double-helix configuration due to hybridization, resulting in the tag moving away from the electrode surface, which in turn decreased the ECL signal. The ECL intensity of the DNA biosensor generated a "switch off" mode, which decreased with an increase of the concentration of target DNA, and a detection limit of 9 x 10(-11) M complementary target ss-DNA was achieved. Single mismatched target ss-DNA was effectively discriminated from complementary target ss-DNA. The effect of different loop lengths of the hairpin DNA on the selectivity of the ECL DNA biosensor has been investigated. This work demonstrated that the sensitivity and specificity of an ECL DNA biosensor could be greatly improved using a hairpin DNA species which has an appropriate stem and loop length as the recognition element.     

Electrochemiluminescent biosensor for hypoxanthine based on the electrically heated carbon paste electrode modified with xanthine oxidase

A new electrochemiluminescent (ECL) biosensor based on an electrically heated carbon paste electrode (HCPE) that was surface modified by xanthine oxidase (XOD) was designed and constructed in this work. It was found that the ECL intensity of luminol could be enhanced at the surface of XOD/HCPE by adding hypoxanthine (HX) to the solution, and there was a linear relationship between the ECL intensity and the concentration of HX. On the basis of this, an ECL enzyme biosensor can thus be developed to detect HX. However, because the activity of XOD is highly dependent on temperature, the biosensor is very sensitive to the temperature of the electrode. Also, because the temperature of the electrode may also affect the diffusion and convection of the luminescent compounds near the electrode surface, a suitable temperature for XOD/HCPE has to be controlled to achieve the best ECL signal. The key feature of the designed biosensor is that the temperature of the electrode is controllable so the most suitable temperature for the enzyme reaction can be obtained. The obtained results showed that the ECL enzyme biosensor exhibited the best sensitivity at an electrode temperature of 35 degrees C for the detection of HX. The detection limit was 30-fold lower than that at room temperature (25 degrees C).     

Positive potential operation of a cathodic electrogenerated chemiluminescence immunosensor based on luminol and graphene for cancer biomarker detection

In this work, we report a cathodic electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of luminol at a positive potential (ca. 0.05 V vs Ag/AgCl) with a strong light emission on the graphene-modified glass carbon electrode. The resulted graphene-modified electrode offers an excellent platform for high-performance biosensing applications. On the basis of the cathodic ECL signal of luminol on the graphene-modified electrode, an ECL sandwich immunosensor for sensitive detection of cancer biomarkers at low potential was developed with a multiple signal amplification strategy from functionalized graphene and gold nanorods multilabeled with glucose oxidase (GOx) and secondary antibody (Ab(2)). The functionalized graphene improved the electron transfer on the electrode interface and was employed to attach the primary antibody (Ab(1)) due to it large surface area. The gold nanorods were not only used as carriers of secondary antibody (Ab(2)) and GOx but also catalyzed the ECL reaction of luminol, which further amplified the ECL signal of luminol in the presence of glucose and oxygen. The as-proposed low-potential ECL immunosensor exhibited high sensitivity and specificity on the detection of prostate protein antigen (PSA), a biomarker of prostate cancer that was used as a model. A linear relationship between ECL signals and the concentrations of PSA was obtained in the range from 10 pg mL(-1) to 8 ng mL(-1). The detection limit of PSA was 8 pg mL(-1) (signal-to-noise ratio of 3). Moreover, the as-proposed low-potential ECL immunosensor exhibited excellent stability and reproducibility. The graphene-based ECL immunosensor accurately detected PSA concentration in 10 human serum samples from patients demonstrated by excellent correlations with standard chemiluminescence immunoassay. The results suggest that the as-proposed graphene ECL immunosensor will be promising in the point-of-care diagnostics application of clinical screening of cancer biomarkers.     

Highly sensitive electrogenerated chemiluminescence biosensor in profiling protein kinase activity and inhibition using gold nanoparticle as signal transduction probes

A novel electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor using gold nanoparticles as signal transduction probes was described for the detection of kinase activity. The gold nanoparticles were specifically conjugated to the thiophosphate group after the phosphorylation process in the presence of adenosine 59-[c-thio] triphosphate (ATP-s) cosubstrate. Due to its good conductivity, large surface area, and excellent electroactivity to luminol oxidization, the gold nanoparticles extremely amplified the ECL signal of luminol, offering a highly sensitive ECL biosensor for kinase activity detection. Protein kinase A (PKA), an important enzyme in regulation of glycogen, sugar, and lipid metabolism in the human body, was used as a model to confirm the proof-of-concept strategy. The as-proposed biosensor presented high sensitivity, low detection limit of 0.07 U mL(-1), wide linear range (from 0.07 to 32 U mL(-1)), and excellent stability. Moreover, this biosensor can also be used for quantitative analysis of kinase inhibition. On the basis of the inhibitor concentration dependent ECL signal, the half-maximal inhibition value IC(50) of ellagic acid, a PKA inhibitor, was estimated, which was in agreement with those characterized with the conventional kinase assay. While nearly no ECL signal change can be observed in the presence of Tyrphostin AG1478, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, but not PKA inhibitor, shows its excellent performance in kinase inhibitor screening. The simple and sensitive biosensor is promising in developing a high-through assay of in vitro kinase activity and inhibitor screening for clinic diagnostic and drug development.     

Quantum dot-based near-infrared electrochemiluminescent immunosensor with gold nanoparticle-graphene nanosheet hybrids and silica nanospheres double-assisted signal amplification

Near-infrared electrochemiluminescence (NIR ECL) from quantum dots (QDs) has aroused particular attention. However, whether it is possible to achieve NIR ECL sensing has remained an open question. In this article, we reported a NIR ECL immunosensor with amplification techniques for ultrasensitive and selective determination of biomarker. In this sensing platform, NIR-emitting CdTe/CdS core(small)/shell(thick) QDs were first selected as NIR ECL emitters. The NIR ECL nanoprobe (SiO(2)-QD-Ab2) was designed by covalent assembly of goat antihuman IgG antibody (Ab2) on CdTe/CdS QDs tagged silica nanospheres. Gold nanoparticle-graphene nanosheet (Au-GN) hybrids were prepared by a sonication-induced self-assembly and served as an effective matrix for initial antibodies (Ab1) attachment. After a sandwich immunoreaction, the functionalized silica nanosphere labels were captured onto the glass carbon electrode surface. Integrating the dual amplification from the promoting electron transfer rate of Au-GN hybrids and the increasing QD loading of SiO(2)-QD-Ab2 labels, the NIR ECL response from CdTe/CdS QDs enhanced 16.8-fold compared to the unamplified protocol and successfully fulfilled the ultrasensitive detection of human IgG (HIgG) with a detection limit of 87 fg mL(-1). Moreover, as a practical application, the proposed immunosensor was used to monitor HIgG level in human serum with satisfactory results obtained.     

Disposable biosensor based on Au nanoparticles-modified CdS nanorod arrays for detection cytochrome c

A novel disposable biosensor is developed based on gold nanoparticles modified CdS nanorod arrays. The ordered CdS nanorod arrays firstly have been synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. Then, the CdS nanorod arrays are modified by gold nanoparticles, which are directly fabricated into an electrode for detection of cytochrome c (Cyc) in solution without any pretreatment. The modified CdS nanorod arrays biosensor with the immense surface area and high electrical conductivity shows a good sensitivity and linear range. This method may be used to construct other electrochemical biosensors using aligned nanorod/nanowire films.     

Phosphine-free synthesis of high-quality reverse type-I ZnSe/CdSe core with CdS/Cd(x)Zn(1 - x)S/ZnS multishell nanocrystals and their application for detection of human hepatitis B surface antigen

Highly photoluminescent (PL) reverse type-I ZnSe/CdSe nanocrystals (NCs) and ZnSe/CdSe/CdS/Cd(x)Zn(1 - x)S/ZnS core/multishell NCs were successfully synthesized by a phosphine-free method. By this low-cost, 'green' synthesis route, more than 10 g of high-quality ZnSe/CdSe/CdS/Cd(x)Zn(1 - x)S/ZnS NCs were synthesized in a large scale synthesis. After the overgrowth of a CdS/Cd(x)Zn(1 - x)S/ZnS multishell on ZnSe/CdSe cores, the PL quantum yields (QYs) increased from 28% to 75% along with the stability improvement. An amphiphilic oligomer was used as a surface coating agent to conduct a phase transfer experiment, core/multishell NCs were dissolved in water by such surface modification and the QYs were still kept above 70%. The as-prepared water dispersible ZnSe/CdSe/CdS/Cd(x)Zn(1 - x)S/ZnS core/multishell NCs not only have high fluorescence QYs but also are extremely stable in various physiological conditions. Furthermore, a biosensor system (lateral flow immunoassay system, LFIA) for the detection of human hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was developed by using this water-soluble core/multishell NCs as a fluorescent label and a nitrocellulose filter membrane for lateral flow. The result showed that such ZnSe/CdSe/CdS/Cd(x)Zn(1 - x)S/ZnS core/multishell NCs were excellent fluorescent labels to detect HBsAg. The sensitivity of HBsAg detection could reach as high as 0.05 ng ml( - 1).     

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence. 83. Immunoassay of human C-reactive protein by using Ru(bpy)3(2+)-encapsulated liposomes as labels

Liposomes ( approximately 100-nm diameter) containing Ru(bpy)32+ (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) were prepared as an electrogenerated chemiluminescent (ECL) tag for a sandwich-type immunoassay of human C-reactive protein (CRP). Polyclonal human CRP antibodies were introduced onto liposomes and magnetic beads through biotin-streptavidin interaction. The antigen-antibody conjugates formed on addition of a CRP-containing sample were separated from unreacted species magnetically. Addition of 0.1 M tri-n-propylamine and 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.6) containing 0.1 M NaCl and 1% (v/v) Triton X-100 caused liberation of the Ru(bpy)32+ from the liposome. ECL obtained in this medium showed a detection limit of 100 ng/mL for human CRP with good linearity of ECL intensity versus antigen concentration over the range 100 ng/mL-10 microg/mL.     

Quantum dot (QD)-modified carbon tape electrodes for reproducible electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emission on a paper-based platform

Stable and sensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection relies on successful immobilization of quantum dots (QDs) on working electrodes. Herein, we report a new technique to apply double-sided carbon adhesive tape as the working electrode to improve the stability and reproducibility of QD-based ECL emission. CdS QD-modified electrodes were prepared by dropping and drying CdS QD suspension on the carbon adhesive tape supported by indium tin oxide (ITO) glass. The ECL detection was performed with the prepared electrode on a paper-based platform. We tested our system using H(2)O(2) of various concentrations and demonstrated that consistent ECL emission could be obtained. We attribute stable and reproducible ECL emission to the robust attachment of CdS QDs on the carbon adhesive tape. The proposed method could be used to quantify the concentration of dopamine from 1 μM to 10 mM based on the quenching effect of dopamine on ECL emission of CdS QD system using H(2)O(2) as the coreactant. Our approach addressed the problem in the integration of stable QD-based ECL detection with portable paper-based analytical devices. The similar design offers great potential for low-cost electrochemical and ECL analytical instruments.     

Observing single nanoparticle collisions by electrogenerated chemiluminescence amplification

We demonstrate a novel method of observing single particle collision events with electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL). A single event is characterized by the enhancement of ECL intensity during the collision of an individual platinum nanoparticle (Pt NP) on an indium tin oxide electrode, which catalyzes the oxidation of Ru(bpy)3(2+) and a coreactant, for example, tri- n-propylamine (TPrA), present in the solution. Every collision produces a unique photon spike whose amplitude and frequency can be correlated with the size and concentration of the Pt NPs. A large amplification of ECL intensity can occur by choosing an appropriate measuring electrode and using high concentrations of Ru(bpy)3(2+) and the coreactant.     

Determination of DNA methylation using electrochemiluminescence with surface accumulable coreactant

Cytosine methylation in DNA was determined by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection and employed for the DNA methylation assay of a long and real genomic sample for the first time. The developed method employed an antimethyl cytosine antibody labeled with acetylcholinesterase, which was added to recognize single methylated cytosine in a DNA oligomer. The acetylcholinesterase converted acetylthiocholine (substrate) to thiocholine (product), which was accumulated on a gold electrode surface via gold-thiol binding. This surface accumulated preconcentration made it possible to observe bright and distinctive ECL by applying a potential to the gold electrode in the presence of a tris(2,2-bipyridyl)ruthenium complex luminophore when the analyte DNA contained a methylation region. Methyl-cytosine was measured quantitatively in the 1-100 pmol range, which exhibits sufficiently high sensitivity to achieve real DNA measurements without amplification by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The proposed ECL method also exhibited high selectivity for methyl-cytosine against nonmethylated cytosine, guanine, thymine, and adenine nucleotides. Finally, original and methylated DNA samples were clearly distinguished with our method using a real DNA bacteriophage sample (48,502 base pairs).     

Detection of gold nanoparticles using an immunoglobulin-coated piezoelectric sensor

Since the existence of nanoparticles in our environment has already attracted considerable attention due to their possible toxic impact on biological systems, the field detection of nanoparticles is becoming a technology that will be much in need. We have constructed a piezoelectric sensor with an antibody-coated electrode. The antiserum can bind gold nanoparticles with a high degree of selectivity and sensitivity. The biosensor thus constructed can detect 4, 5, or 6?nm gold nanoparticles (GNPs) depending on the coated antiserum. The sensitivity for the detection of 5?nm GNPs was 10.3 ± 0.9?ng?Hz(-1), with the low limit of detection at 5.5?ng. A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor was capable of detecting GNPs and other types of nanoparticle, such as ZnO, or Fe(3)O(4). The current study provides, for the first time, a platform for detecting nanoparticles in a convenient, economical manner.     

Effect of nonionic fluorosurfactant on the electrogenerated chemiluminescence of the tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II)/tri-n-propylamine system: lower oxidation potential and higher emission intensity

Fluorosurfactants are commercially available, and their applications in electrochemical systems have been the interest of many studies. Here, we describe a novel effect of a nonionic fluorosurfactant (Zonyl FSN) on the electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of the tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II)/tri-n-propylamine (TPrA) system at gold and platinum electrodes. Compared with its hydrocarbon analogue (Triton X-100), the adsorbed fluorosurfactant species not only rendered the electrode surfaces more hydrophobic but also significantly retarded the growth of the electrode oxide layers. As a result, more facile direct oxidation of TPrA was achieved, which led to the appearance of a low oxidation potential ECL signal (below 1.0 V vs SCE). At the gold electrode, the ECL peak appeared at 0.82 V, approximately 400 mV more negative than usual; while its intensity was approximately 50 times higher. The generation of the intense ECL signal at low oxidation potential may lead to the development of more efficient ECL analysis.     

Versatile electrochemiluminescence assays for cancer cells based on dendrimer/CdSe-ZnS-quantum dot nanoclusters

In this work, a novel dendrimer/CdSe-ZnS-quantum dot nanocluster (NC) was fabricated and used as an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) probe for versatile assays of cancer cells for the first time. A large number of CdSe-ZnS-quantum dots (QDs) were labeled on the NCs due to the many functional amine groups within the NCs, which could significantly amplify the QD's ECL signal. Capture DNA was specially designed as a high-affinity aptamer to the target cell; a novel ECL biosensor for cancer cells was directly accomplished by using the biobarcode technique to avoid cross-reaction. Moreover, magnetic beads (MBs) for aptamers immobilization were combined with the dendrimer/QD NCs probe for signal-on ECL assay of cancer cells, which greatly simplified the separation procedures and favored for the sensitivity improvement. In particular, a novel cycle-amplifying technique using a DNA device on MBs was further employed in the ECL assay of cancer cells, which greatly improved the sensitivity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that the novel dendrimer/QD NCs probe combined with a DNA device cycle-amplifying technique was employed in the ECL assays of cells. Excellent discrimination against target and control cells is demonstrated, indicating that the ECL assays have great potential to provide a sensitive, selective, cost-effective, and convenient approach for early and accurate detection of cancer cells.