Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay for Point-Of-Care Detection of Cardiac Troponin I Using Hexagonal Ag Nanoparticles and a Multiplexed Screen-Printed Electrode Platform Publisher



Hosseini M ; Mortazavi SMR ; Eticha T ; Handali S ; Firoozbakhtian A ; Wang Z ; Xu G
Source: Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry Published:2026

Abstract

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is a pivotal structural subunit within cardiac troponin complexes and is a critical biomarker for diagnosing acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Consequently, the precise and sensitive identification of cTnI during the initial phases of AMI is paramount. Incorporating biosensors for point-of-care applications necessitates meticulous considerations, including miniaturization, cost-effectiveness, and optimized sample processing. In recent years, the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunoassay employing magnetic beads based on a streptavidin-biotin conjugate has garnered considerable attention owing to its visual detection capabilities, elevated specificity, and potential to enable high-throughput analysis. This study develops an integrated ECL biosensing platform combining streptavidin-biotin magnetic separation with hexagonal Ag nanoparticles for enhanced signal amplification. Leveraging the enhanced bioaffinity properties and permitting the concurrent identification of eight multiplex samples, the multi‑gold screen-printed electrode apparatus promotes the formation of electrochemical cells. Furthermore, the incorporation of hexagonal Ag nanoparticles markedly enhanced ECL intensity and facilitated the electron transfer kinetics, thus enabling the sensitive identification of cTnI. When cTnI is captured by hexagonal Ag nanoparticles and magnetic beads conjugated with antibodies, then isolated using a magnet and detected, the higher concentration of antigen present leads to increased luminol participation, resulting in enhanced ECL intensity. Utilizing a camera as the detection device, cTnI can be quantified within a range of 0.001 to 100 ng mL−1, with a high R2value of 0.98. These results underscore the promising potential of the system as a portable platform for effective multiplex point-of-care detection of cTnI. © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.