Toward Rapid and Automated Immunoassays: Using a Localized Electrochemical pH Modulation Platform to Perform a Single-Step Immunoassay

Anal Chem. 2022 Sep 27;94(38):13171-13180. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c02686. Epub 2022 Sep 13.

Abstract

An electrochemical platform for generating and controlling a localized pH microenvironment on demand is proposed by employing a closed-loop control algorithm based on an iridium oxide pH sensor input. We use a combination of solution-borne quinones and galvanostatic excitation on a prepatterned indium tin oxide (ITO) working electrode to modulate pH within a very well confined, small volume of solution close to the electrode surface. We demonstrate that the rate of pH change can be controlled at up to 2 pH s-1 with an excellent repeatability (±0.004). The desired pH microenvironment can be stably maintained for longer than 2 h within ±0.0012 pH. As a high-impact application of the platform technology, we propose a single-step immunoassay and demonstrate its utility in measuring C-reactive protein (CRP), a critical inflammatory marker in various conditions such as myocardial infarction and even SARS-Cov-2. Utilizing pH modulation technology along with pH-sensitive fluorescence dye simplifies the immunoassay process into a single-step, where a mixture of all of the reagents is incubated only for 1 h without any washing steps or the need to change solution. This simplified immunoassay process minimizes the hands-on time of the end-user and thus decreases technician-driven errors. Moreover, the absence of complicated liquid-handling hardware makes it more suitable and attractive for an ultracompact platform to ultimately be used in a point-of-care diagnostic assay.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biosensing Techniques*
  • C-Reactive Protein
  • COVID-19*
  • Electrochemical Techniques
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Immunoassay
  • Quinones
  • SARS-CoV-2

Substances

  • Quinones
  • C-Reactive Protein