An electrochemical/SERS dual-mode immunosensor using TMB/Au nanotag and Au@2D-MoS2 modified screen-printed electrode for sensitive detection of prostate cancer biomarker

Abstract

This study describes a novel dual-mode immunosensor that combines electrochemical (EC) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) techniques for the detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a biomarker associated with prostate cancer. The sensor consists of a nanocomposite of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) deposited on two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide (Au@MoS₂) modified on a working carbon electrode of a screen-printed electrode (SPE). Subsequently, the primary antibody (Ab1) is immobilized on the modified electrode, creating Ab1/Au@MoS₂/SPE for specific recognition of the target PSA. In parallel, AuNPs are conjugated with a secondary antibody (Ab2) and a probe molecule, 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), leading nanotags (TMB/Ab2/AuNPs) formation exhibiting strong SERS and EC responses. Upon the presence of the target, sandwich immunocomplexes can be formed through antigen-antibody interactions (Ab1-PSA-Ab2). The differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) technique is employed for EC detection mode, while a handheld Raman spectrometer with a 785 nm excitation laser is utilized to collect SERS signals. The developed system demonstrates excellent selectivity and sensitivity, with low limits of detection (LODs) of 3.58 pg mL⁻¹ and 4.83 pg mL⁻¹ for EC and SERS sensing, respectively. Importantly, the dual-mode immunosensor proves effective quantifying PSA protein in human serum samples with good recovery. Given its high sensitivity and proficiency in analyzing biological samples, this proposed immunosensor holds promise as an alternative tool for the early diagnosis of cancers.