Atomic-Level Defect Engineering in GeP Nanoflake Biosensors for Gastric Cancer Diagnosis
Shaopeng Chang, Zhehong Li, Lixuan Liu, Chong Wang, Jing Wang, Anmin Nie, Fusheng Wen, Congpu Mu, Kun Zhai, Jianyong Xiang, Bochong Wang, Qing Fan, Tianyu Xue, Zhongyuan Liu
Abstract
Defect engineering offers a promising approach to enhance the sensitivity of biosensing materials by creating abundant chemically active sites. Despite its potential, achieving precise control and modification of these defects remains a significant challenge. Herein, we propose atomic-level defect engineering in GeP two-dimensional (2D) layered materials, following precise in situ growing Au nanoparticles on the single defect active sites for the design of ultrasensitive biosensors. The GeP-based biosensor exhibits notable capabilities for miRNA detection with excellent chemical stability, sensitivity, selectivity, and an extremely low detection limit of 28.6 aM. When applied to clinical tissue samples from gastric cancer patients, the biosensor effectively quantified the miR378c biomarker, enabling accurate stage-specific monitoring. This research not only represents a crucial advancement in the field of biosensing materials through defect engineering but also provides a promising avenue for early cancer diagnosis, staging, and monitoring.