Highly sensitive electrochemical detection of cancer biomarker based on anti-EpCAM conjugated molybdenum disulfide grafted reduced graphene oxide nanohybrid

An ultrasensitive, electrochemical biosensor has been fabricated by utilizing molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) grafted reduced graphene oxide (MoS2@rGO) nanohybrid as a sensing platform. Biomolecular-assisted synthetic method was adopted to synthesize MoS2@rGO nanohybrid, where L-cys was used to reduce GO. The MoS2@rGO nanohybrid exhibits improved electrochemical performance when it has been electrophoretically deposited onto the indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate. Further, epithelial cell adhesion molecule antibodies (anti-EpCAM) specific to cancer biomarker has been covalently immobilized on the MoS2@rGO/ITO electrodes for label-free detection of EpCAM. Electrochemical results confirm that anti-EpCAM/MoS2@rGO/ITO based biosensor can detect EpCAM in the concentration range of 0.001-20 ng mL(-1) with a detection limit of 44.22 fg mL(-1) (S/N = 3). The biosensor's excellent analytical performance has been attributed to the efficient immobilization of EpCAM antibodies on the MoS2@rGO surface, which results in high specificity for EpCAM antigen. The fabricated biosensor showed good selectivity, reproducibility, and stability. The successful detection of EpCAM antigen in spiked samples (human saliva, serum and urine) makes this platform an alternative method for early screening of cancer biomarker. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.