Impedimetric Biosensor Coated with Zinc Oxide Nanorods Synthesized by a Modification of the Hydrothermal Method for Antibody Detection

Abstract

Impedimetric biosensors are used for detecting a wide range of analytes. The detection principle is a perspective for the development of new types of analytical devices for biomolecular diagnosis of diseases. Of particular interest are biosensors with very high sensitivities, capable of detecting trace amounts of biomarkers or drugs in biological fluids. Impedimetric biosensors possess a potential for increased sensitivity, since their electrodes can be modified with nanostructured materials, in particular zinc oxide. In this work, a miniature biosensor with an array of zinc oxide nanorods synthesized by the hydrothermal method has been created. Protein A was immobilized on the resulting structure, which was previously tested for binding to omalizumab by capillary electrophoresis. Using impedance spectroscopy, it was possible to detect the binding of omalizumab at concentrations down to 5 pg/mL. The resulting structures are suitable for creating reusable biosensor systems, since ZnO-coated electrodes are easily cleaned by photocatalytic decomposition of the bound molecules. The biosensor is promising for use in Point-of-Care systems designed for fast, multimodal detection of molecular markers of a wide range of diseases.