Testing of Diamond Electrodes as Biosensor for Antibody-Based Detection of Immunoglobulin Protein with Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

Abstract

To control the increasing virus pandemics, virus detection methods are essential. Today’s standard virus detections methods are fast (immune assays) or precise (PCR). A method that is both fast and precise would enable more efficient mitigation measures and better life comfort. According to recent papers, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has proven to detect viruses fast and precise. Boron-doped diamond (BDD) was used as a high-performance electrode material in these works. The aim of this work was to perform an initial test of BDD-based EIS for biosensing. As an easily available standard biomaterial, human immunoglobulin G (IgG) was used as analyte. Niobium plates were coated via hot-filament activated chemical vapor deposition with polycrystalline diamond, and doped with boron for electrical conductivity. An anti-human IgG antibody was immobilised on the BDD electrodes as a biosensing component. Four different analyte concentrations up to 1.1 µg per litre were tested. During EIS measurements, both impedance over frequency curves and Nyquist plot demonstrated no clear sign of a change of the charge transfer resistance. Thus, no positive statement about a successful biosensing could be made so far. It is assumed that these issues need to be investigated and improved, including the relation of BDD electrode size to electrolyte volume, termination of the BDD electrodes (H, O) for a successful functionalisation and EIS frequency range. The work will be continued concerning these improvement issues in order to finally use virus materials as analyte.