Electrochemical immunosensor based on colloidal carbon sphere array.

A novel type of colloidal carbon sphere array (CSA) was developed for the fabrication of disposable electrochemical immunosensor. The CSA was successfully prepared on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate in a simple manner and the scanning electron micrograph confirmed that a single-layered arrangement of the carbon spheres with its (111) plane paralleled the substrate's surface. The CSA modified electrode has a higher surface area and exhibits a more sensitive electrochemical response than a normal carbon-based electrode with the same geometric area. An Immunoglobin A (IgA) immunosensor was constructed by the covalent bonding of IgA antibody molecules with the CSA aided by large numbers of carboxyl groups on the surface of carbon spheres. The immunosensor exhibited a wide linear response to IgA ranging from 0.1 to 200 ng mL(-1) by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique. The detection of IgA levels in three sera obtained from hospital samples showed acceptable accuracy. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.