Construction of Flexible Electrochemical Sensing Interfaces Based  on Paper/PEDOT:PSS for the Detection of Cystatin C

Yang  Li; Yixuan   Bian; Regan McMath; J Davis; P Papakonstantinou; Yuanhua   Shao; Meixian Li

doi:10.1021/acs.analchem.5c01627

Construction of Flexible Electrochemical Sensing Interfaces Based on Paper/PEDOT:PSS for the Detection of Cystatin C

Yang Li
, Yixuan Bian
, Regan McMath
, J Davis
, P Papakonstantinou
, Yuanhua Shao
, Meixian Li

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health issue, with high prevalence and mortality. As cystatin C is a biomarker for the early diagnosis of CKD, there is an urgent need to develop a simple and inexpensive method for the detection of Cys C in human plasma. Herein, a sensitive method with flexible electrochemical aptamer-based (E-AB) sensing interfaces has been established using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate)-treated paper-based electrodes. Introduction of MoS ₂ quantum dots increased the specific surface area and realized effective immobilization of the thiolated Cys C aptamer (Cys C Apt) modified with methylene blue through the formation of disulfide bonds. The E-AB sensing interfaces were successfully applied to the quantification of Cys C in human venous whole blood and plasma samples based on the binding-induced conformational change mechanism of Cys C Apt by employing square wave voltammetry. The flexible E-AB sensing interfaces show significant potential to be developed into wearable patches for in vivo detection of Cys C, which will pave the way for early diagnosis and long-term monitoring of CKD.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	14426-14434
Number of pages	9
Journal	Analytical Chemistry
Volume	97
Issue number	27
Early online date	4 Jul 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c01627
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - 15 Jul 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 American Chemical Society.

Funding

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21974003) and British Council (Going Global Partnerships\u2500Enabling Grants to Strengthen UK-China Institutional Partnerships through academic collaboration 2022, ref: 71344R).

Funders	Funder number
National Natural Science Foundation of China	21974003
The British Council	71344R

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

PEDOT:PSS
conductive polymers
electrochemical biosensors
aptamers
cystatin C
CKD
Molybdenum - chemistry
Cystatin C - blood
Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic - chemistry
Humans
Aptamers, Nucleotide - chemistry
Polystyrenes - chemistry
Electrodes
Quantum Dots - chemistry
Thiophenes
Disulfides - chemistry
Biosensing Techniques - methods
Electrochemical Techniques - methods
Paper
Polymers - chemistry

Access to Document

10.1021/acs.analchem.5c01627

Cite this

@article{061f3b9682c74a4383f8a0e1c5769767,

title = "Construction of Flexible Electrochemical Sensing Interfaces Based on Paper/PEDOT:PSS for the Detection of Cystatin C",

abstract = "Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health issue, with high prevalence and mortality. As cystatin C is a biomarker for the early diagnosis of CKD, there is an urgent need to develop a simple and inexpensive method for the detection of Cys C in human plasma. Herein, a sensitive method with flexible electrochemical aptamer-based (E-AB) sensing interfaces has been established using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate)-treated paper-based electrodes. Introduction of MoS 2 quantum dots increased the specific surface area and realized effective immobilization of the thiolated Cys C aptamer (Cys C Apt) modified with methylene blue through the formation of disulfide bonds. The E-AB sensing interfaces were successfully applied to the quantification of Cys C in human venous whole blood and plasma samples based on the binding-induced conformational change mechanism of Cys C Apt by employing square wave voltammetry. The flexible E-AB sensing interfaces show significant potential to be developed into wearable patches for in vivo detection of Cys C, which will pave the way for early diagnosis and long-term monitoring of CKD.",

keywords = "PEDOT:PSS, conductive polymers, electrochemical biosensors, aptamers, cystatin C, CKD, Molybdenum - chemistry, Cystatin C - blood, Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic - chemistry, Humans, Aptamers, Nucleotide - chemistry, Polystyrenes - chemistry, Electrodes, Quantum Dots - chemistry, Thiophenes, Disulfides - chemistry, Biosensing Techniques - methods, Electrochemical Techniques - methods, Paper, Polymers - chemistry",

author = "Yang Li and Yixuan Bian and Regan McMath and J Davis and P Papakonstantinou and Yuanhua Shao and Meixian Li",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 American Chemical Society.",

year = "2025",

month = jul,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1021/acs.analchem.5c01627",

language = "English",

volume = "97",

pages = "14426--14434",

journal = "Analytical Chemistry",

issn = "0003-2700",

publisher = "American Chemical Society",

number = "27",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Construction of Flexible Electrochemical Sensing Interfaces Based on Paper/PEDOT:PSS for the Detection of Cystatin C

AU - Li, Yang

AU - Bian, Yixuan

AU - McMath, Regan

AU - Davis, J

AU - Papakonstantinou, P

AU - Shao, Yuanhua

AU - Li, Meixian

PY - 2025/7/15

Y1 - 2025/7/15

N2 - Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health issue, with high prevalence and mortality. As cystatin C is a biomarker for the early diagnosis of CKD, there is an urgent need to develop a simple and inexpensive method for the detection of Cys C in human plasma. Herein, a sensitive method with flexible electrochemical aptamer-based (E-AB) sensing interfaces has been established using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate)-treated paper-based electrodes. Introduction of MoS 2 quantum dots increased the specific surface area and realized effective immobilization of the thiolated Cys C aptamer (Cys C Apt) modified with methylene blue through the formation of disulfide bonds. The E-AB sensing interfaces were successfully applied to the quantification of Cys C in human venous whole blood and plasma samples based on the binding-induced conformational change mechanism of Cys C Apt by employing square wave voltammetry. The flexible E-AB sensing interfaces show significant potential to be developed into wearable patches for in vivo detection of Cys C, which will pave the way for early diagnosis and long-term monitoring of CKD.

AB - Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health issue, with high prevalence and mortality. As cystatin C is a biomarker for the early diagnosis of CKD, there is an urgent need to develop a simple and inexpensive method for the detection of Cys C in human plasma. Herein, a sensitive method with flexible electrochemical aptamer-based (E-AB) sensing interfaces has been established using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate)-treated paper-based electrodes. Introduction of MoS 2 quantum dots increased the specific surface area and realized effective immobilization of the thiolated Cys C aptamer (Cys C Apt) modified with methylene blue through the formation of disulfide bonds. The E-AB sensing interfaces were successfully applied to the quantification of Cys C in human venous whole blood and plasma samples based on the binding-induced conformational change mechanism of Cys C Apt by employing square wave voltammetry. The flexible E-AB sensing interfaces show significant potential to be developed into wearable patches for in vivo detection of Cys C, which will pave the way for early diagnosis and long-term monitoring of CKD.

KW - PEDOT:PSS

KW - conductive polymers

KW - electrochemical biosensors

KW - aptamers

KW - cystatin C

KW - CKD

KW - Molybdenum - chemistry

KW - Cystatin C - blood

KW - Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic - chemistry

KW - Humans

KW - Aptamers, Nucleotide - chemistry

KW - Polystyrenes - chemistry

KW - Electrodes

KW - Quantum Dots - chemistry

KW - Thiophenes

KW - Disulfides - chemistry

KW - Biosensing Techniques - methods

KW - Electrochemical Techniques - methods

KW - Paper

KW - Polymers - chemistry

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105009607966

U2 - 10.1021/acs.analchem.5c01627

DO - 10.1021/acs.analchem.5c01627

M3 - Article

C2 - 40611738

SN - 0003-2700

VL - 97

SP - 14426

EP - 14434

JO - Analytical Chemistry

JF - Analytical Chemistry

IS - 27

ER -