Wide-Spectrum-Responsive Paper-Supported Photoelectrochemical Sensing Platform Based on Black Phosphorus-Sensitized TiO₂

A wide-spectrum-responsive paper-based photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor based on black phosphorus (BP) quantum dots (QDs)-sensitized titanium dioxide (TiO2–BP QDs) for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) detection was presented herein. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were first coated on paper to form a flexible conductive paper electrode. TiO2 nanoparticles were then in situ synthesized on the CNTs-modified paper working electrode with direct liquid-phase hydrolysis with normal temperature, shirtsleeve operation, and gentle solution. Meanwhile, BP QDs, derived from two-dimensional BP nanosheets, can harvest light from the ultraviolet to near-infrared region, broaden efficient utilization of light, add a new dimension to BP research, and impel the high expectation on the potentials of QDs. To implement an assay protocol, exciton–plasmon interactions between TiO2–BP QDs and gold nanoparticles were introduced into the PEC sensing platform for high sensitivity detection of the PSA antigen. Under the optimal conditions, this proposed method exhibited a linear response ranging from 0.005 to 50 ng/mL with a detection limit of 1 pg/mL. This sensing protocol offered a promising analytical method with favorable properties of high selectivity, stability, and reproducibility.