Synergic effect of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and gold nanoparticles towards immunosensing of ricin with carbon nanotube–gold nanoparticles–chitosan modified screen printed electrode

Abstract

An amperometric immunosensor for the specific detection of Ricinus communis is reported. Screen printed electrodes (SPEs) were modified with gold nanoparticles (GNPs) loaded multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)–chitosan (Ch) film. The ratio of MWCNT and GNP was optimised to get best electrochemically active electrode. Sandwich immunoassay format was used for the immunosensing of ricin. The revealing antibodies tagged with the enzyme alkaline phosphatase (ALP) converts the substrate 1-naphthyl phosphate into 1-naphthol that was determined with the amperometric technique. The amperometric current obtained was correlated with the concentration of ricin. The prepared GNP–MWCNT–Ch–SPE showed high stability due to the Ch film, short response time with good reproducibility and increased shelf life of the electrodes immobilised with antibodies. The electrochemical activity of the electrode improved because of optimization of composition of CNTs and gold nanoparticles. Under the optimal conditions, the modified electrode showed a wide linear response to the concentration of ricin in the range of 2.5–25 ng mL⁻¹ with a limit of detection of 2.1 ng mL⁻¹ and with a relative standard deviation of 5.1% and storage life of 32 days.