Amperometric aptasensor with sandwich-type architecture for troponin I based on carboxyethylsilanetriol-modified graphene oxide coated electrodes

A novel amperometric aptasensor for the specific detection of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) was constructed by using screen-printed carbon electrodes coated with a carboxyethylsilanetriol-modified graphene oxide derivative as transduction element. This novel carboxylic acid-enriched nanomaterial allows easy and high load immobilization of the capture aptamer molecules on the electrode surface. The biosensing interface was assembled by covalent attachment of an amino-functionalized DNA aptamer on the carboxylic acid-enriched electrode surface. The sensing approach relies on the specific recognition of cTnI by the aptamer and further assembly of a sandwich-type architecture with a novel aptamer-peroxidase conjugate as signaling element. The aptasensor was employed to detect the cardiac biomarker in the broad range from 1.0 pg/mL to 1.0 μg/mL with a detection limit of 0.6 pg/mL. This electroanalytical device also showed high specificity, reproducibility and stability, and was useful to quantify cTnI in reconstituted human serum samples.