Scalable fabrication of immunosensors based on carbon nanotube polymer composites

Nanotechnology. 2008 Feb 20;19(7):075102. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/19/7/075102. Epub 2008 Jan 29.

Abstract

In this work we present the fabrication and characterization of immunosensors based on polystyrene (PS)-multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites. The electrochemical properties of the sensors have been investigated and show that the surface area is increased upon addition of the MWCNT-PS layer. Furthermore, a plasma activation process is used to partially remove the PS and expose the MWCNTs. This results in a huge increase in the electrochemical area and opens up the possibility of binding biomolecules to the MWCNT wall. The MWCNTs have been functionalized covalently with a model antibody (rabbit IgG). The biosensors have been tested using amperometric techniques and show detection limits comparable to standard techniques such as ELISA.