A polypyrrole-mediated photothermal biosensor with a temperature and pressure dual readout for the detection of protein biomarkers

particles modified with detection antibody. The heterocyclic rings from polypyrrole enable photothermal performance in the NIR region. The resulting increased heat and pressure in a sealed well are measured using a digital thermometer and a portable pressure meter, respectively. Taking C-reactive protein (CRP) as a model target, the proposed strategy allowed sensitive, selective and accurate analysis of biomarkers, and showed performance comparable to that of ELISA. Overall, the dual-mode photothermal biosensor holds great potential for simple and low-cost photothermal sensing of biomarkers for point-of-care testing (POCT).