Sensitive sandwich-type electrochemical SARS-CoV‑2 nucleocapsid protein immunosensor

A sensitive and fast sandwich-type electrochemical SARS-CoV‑2 (COVID-19) nucleocapsid protein immunosensor was prepared based on bismuth tungstate/bismuth sulfide composite (Bi(2)WO(6)/Bi(2)S(3)) as electrode platform and graphitic carbon nitride sheet decorated with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and tungsten trioxide sphere composite (g-C(3)N(4)/Au/WO(3)) as signal amplification. The electrostatic interactions between capture antibody and Bi(2)WO(6)/Bi(2)S(3) led to immobilization of the capture nucleocapsid antibody. The detection antibody was then conjugated to g-C(3)N(4)/Au/WO(3) via the affinity of amino-gold. After physicochemically characterization via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis were implemented to evaluate the electrochemical performance of the prepared immunosensor. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (SARS-CoV-2 NP) in a small saliva sample (100.0 µL) took just 30 min and yielded a detection limit (LOD) of 3.00 fg mL(−1), making it an effective tool for point-of-care COVID-19 testing. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00604-021-05092-6.