Electrospun nitrocellulose membrane for immunochromatographic test strip with high sensitivity

Abstract

The main goal of this work is to develop an economical, portable, disposable, and reliable point of care paper biosensor based on visualization, which can be used to detect viruses, bacteria, and proteins. However, the sensitivity of immunochromatography test (ICT) strips based on nitrocellulose to target detection has always been a problem. Here, we use an electrospun nitrocellulose (ENC) fiber membrane instead of traditional nitrocellulose fiber membrane to construct ICT strips for early pregnancy detection. By proper selection of the diameter of the ENC fiber to adjust the pore size, porosity, and morphology of the membrane, ICT strips with low flow rate and high protein loading were obtained. Based on these properties, a convenient and sensitive method for the colorimetric determination of human chorionic gonadotropin was developed. Under the optimal conditions, the detection limit of ICT based on ENC membrane is 10 mIU mL⁻¹ (S/N = 3), the linear detection range is 5–1000 mIU mL⁻¹, and the linear relationship is Y = 0.0434 X − 0.0136 (R² = 0.9802). In addition, the test strip has good specificity and stability, and will not produce false-positive results. Graphical abstract