Self-assembled AuNPs on niobium carbide (Nb2C) MXene-based apta-sensor for progesterone recognition in female sweat and serum sample

Abstract

Individualized tracking of female hormones progesterone level raises a significant impact on women's health, including fertility and carcinogenic risks. Nevertheless, current methods are difficult to use indoors because they typically call for intrusive sampling or large analytical laboratory equipment. Here, we report a straightforward electrochemical biosensor based on the aptamer-target-induced displacement of strands for the automated and minimally invasive diagnostic progesterone via in situ serum and sweat monitoring. This detection screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) combines a reagent-less signal enhancement and 'signal-on' recognition strategy with a gold nanoparticle (AuNPs) decorated via (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) functionalized Nb₂C (niobium carbide) MXene nanosheets achieves high specificity and exceptional sensitivity at picomolar concentrations. The device could detect progesterone levels linearly within the 50–160 pM range, with a sensitivity of 0.159 µA pM⁻¹ and a limit of detection (LOD) of 14 pM in PBS buffer (pH 7.4) and 17 pM in the spiked female sweat sample. Our integrated aptamer-based SPCE system was successfully demonstrated in real-time clinical samples at point-of-care testing. Aptamer modification on AuNPs-APTES-Nb₂C-MXene nanosheets opens up new possibilities for biomedical and electrochemical sensing applications in progesterone detection at picomolar concentration exhibits exceptional stability, repeatability, specificity, sensitivity, and selectivity.