Plasmonic biochips with enhanced stability in harsh environments for the sensitive detection of prostate-specific antigen

Abstract

Hollow and porous plasmonic nanomaterials have been demonstrated for highly sensitive biosensing applications due to their distinctive optical properties. Immunosensors, which rely on antibody–antigen interactions, are essential constituents of diverse biosensing platforms owing to their exceptional binding affinity and selectivity. The majority of immunosensors and conventional bioassays needs special storage conditions and cold chain systems for transportation. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a serine protease, is widely employed in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. In this study, we present the successful utilization of a biopolymer-preserved plasmonic biosensor with improved environmental stability for the sensitive detection of PSA. The preserved plasmonic biosensors exhibited sustained sensitivity in the detection of PSA, achieving a limit of detection of 10 pg mL⁻¹. Furthermore, these biosensors exhibited remarkable stability at elevated temperatures for one week.