Citation: Xiujuan Qiao, Rui Han, Xinru Xu, Mingrui Lv, Yiting Hou, Xiliang Luo. A robust nonfouling electrochemical biosensor with both filtering and antifouling strategies for cortisol detection in human blood[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(3): 111598. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111598 shu

A robust nonfouling electrochemical biosensor with both filtering and antifouling strategies for cortisol detection in human blood

Key Laboratory of Optic-electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE, Shandong Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China

xiliangluo@qust.edu.cn

Received Date: 19 December 2024
Revised Date: 7 June 2025
Accepted Date: 16 July 2025
Available Online: 17 July 2025

Figures(6)

The heavy biofouling on electrochemical sensor surface poses a formidable challenge for biosensing in human blood. Herein, we designed a multilayer filtering-sensing sandwich patch that served as a versatile platform to surmount the substantial fouling constraints for detection in human blood. The patch integrated two functional layers: (i) Inspired by dialysis phenomenon, a filtering-mass transfer hydrophilic membrane with heterogeneous nanostructure was used to filter large-size substances (like cells, bacteria and microorganisms, etc.) and continuously pass through the rest of the biological fluid (like proteins, metabolites and inorganic salts, etc.). (ii) the polypeptide composite hydrogel (rGO/PEPG) on the screen-printed electrode (SPE) surface, with the modulation of -COOH and -NH₂ groups, endowed a strong hydrophilic layer with electric neutrality to further facilitate the antifouling ability. Notably, the integration of the filtering porous membrane with the antifouling hydrogel ensures the strong antifouling ability of the electrochemical sensor in complex human blood. Furthermore, the self-healing property of the rGO/PEPG, relying on the physical π-π stacking forces, aligns the electrochemical sensor with practical needs. The constructed antifouling biosensor based on the filtering-sensing sandwich patch was successfully applied for the sensitive detection of cortisol in human blood, with an acceptable accuracy comparable to the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The strategy presented herein represent a promising advance along the road to construct effective antifouling biosensing devices with robust operation in diverse complex body fluids.
- Nonfouling,
- Electrochemical biosensor,
- Size-sieving,
- Polypeptide complex hydrogel,
- Cortisol,
- Human blood
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