Bipolar silica nanochannel array confined electrochemiluminescence for ultrasensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibody

Ultrasensitive, specific, and early identification of Coronavirus Disease (2019) (COVID-19) infection is critical to control virus spread and remains a global public health problem. Herein, we present a novel solid-state electrochemiluminescence (ECL) platform targeting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody with rapidity and ultrahigh sensitivity, in which a bipolar silica nanochannel array (bp-SNA) is fabricated on indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode for the first time to stably confine the ECL probe of tris(2,2'-bipyridyl) ruthenium (Ru(bpy)₃²⁺) under dual electrostatic force. The bp-SNA consists of tightly packed bilayer silica nanochannel array (SNA) with asymmetric surface charges, namely an inner negatively charged SNA (n-SNA) and an outer positively charged SNA (p-SNA), serving as an "electrostatic lock" to enrich and stabilize the cationic Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ probe without leakage from the electrode surface. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody could be realized via immobilization of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein on the utmost of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺-confined solid-state ECL platform (Ru@bp-SNA). Upon the capture of target SARS-CoV-2 IgG by immune recognition, the formed immunocomplex will block the nanochannel, leading to the hindered diffusion of the co-reactant (tri-n-propylamine, TPrA) and further producing a decreased ECL signal. The developed solid-stated ECL immunosensor is able to determine SARS-CoV-2 IgG with a wide linear range (5 pg mL^-1 to 1 μg mL^-1), a low limit-of-detection (2.9 pg mL^-1), and a short incubation time (30 min). Furthermore, accurate analysis of SARS-CoV-2 IgG in real serum samples is also obtained by the sensor.