Polydopamine decorated MoS2 nanosheet based electrochemical immunosensor for sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein in clinical samples.

The outbreak of the highly contagious disease COVID-19, which is triggered by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), demands a rapid, low-cost, and highly sensitive immunosensor that can detect and identify the virus efficiently. Here, an electrochemical immunosensor based on a nanocomposite consisting of molybdenum disulfide nanosheets decorated with polydopamine (MoS2-PDA) is developed for highly sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (N protein). The MoS2-PDA nanocomposite possesses various hydroxyl and amine groups that have excellent chemistry with crosslinkers and act as adhesive agents to bind with the working electrode surface. Furthermore, the optical, functional, structural, vibrational, and morphological properties of the MoS2-PDA nanocomposite are studied using various characterization techniques such as UV-vis, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopies, XRD, and TEM. The electrochemical immunosensor is fabricated by functionalizing the MoS2-PDA nanocomposite with anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid IgG antibody (Ab) and has a very high sensitivity against the N protein with a linear range between 10 ag mL-1 and 100 ng mL-1. The electrochemical immunosensor exhibits a lowest limit of detection (LOD) of 2.80 ag mL-1 and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 8.48 ag mL-1via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Furthermore, the electrochemical immunosensor is successfully employed to detect the N protein in nasopharyngeal swab specimens and displays good consistency with the conventional RT-PCR test results. The results show that the MoS2-PDA nanocomposite-based electrochemical platform can serve as a highly sensitive and selective detector of N protein and will pave the way for the development of a point-of-care (POC) electrochemical immunosensor for rapid detection of other infectious viruses.

Potential of graphene-based materials to combat COVID-19: properties, perspectives, and prospects.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a new virus in the coronavirus family that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19), emerges as a big threat to the human race. To date, there is no medicine and vaccine available for COVID-19 treatment. While the development of medicines and vaccines are essentially and urgently required, what is also extremely important is the repurposing of smart materials to design effective systems for combating COVID-19. Graphene and graphene-related materials (GRMs) exhibit extraordinary physicochemical, electrical, optical, antiviral, antimicrobial, and other fascinating properties that warrant them as potential candidates for designing and development of high-performance components and devices required for COVID-19 pandemic and other futuristic calamities. In this article, we discuss the potential of graphene and GRMs for healthcare applications and how they may contribute to fighting against COVID-19.