A highly hydrophilic, non-toxic and conductive TiO2 nanoparticles/gold nanoparticles bilayer films as immobilization matrix via self-assembly (SA) and deposition method was prepared on a gold electrode. Subsequently, positively charged horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was assembled onto the bilayer films, which provided an interface to assemble gold nanoparticles for immobilization of carcinoembryonic antibody (anti-CEA). Finally, HRP was used to block sites against non-specific binding. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were applied to characterize the electrochemical properties of the SA process. The CVs reduction current of the immunosensor decreases linearly in two concentrations ranges of CEA from 0.3 to 10 ng/ml and from 10 to 80 ng/ml with a detection limit of 0.2 ng/ml in presence of 0.7 mM H2O2 in analyte solution. Effects of deposition time, pH of working buffer, temperature and incubation time were also explored for optimum analytical performance by using the amperometric method. Moreover, the proposed immunosensor exhibited good accuracy, high sensitivity, long-term stability and made it to determine CEA in serum samples with satisfactory results. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.