An electrochemiluminescence biosensor for sensitive and selective detection of Hg2+ based on π–π interaction between nucleotides and ferrocene–graphene nanosheets

Bangrong Zhuo; Yuqin Li; An Zhang; Fushen Lu; Yaowen Chen; Wenhua Gao

doi:10.1039/C4TB00115J

An electrochemiluminescence biosensor for sensitive and selective detection of Hg²⁺ based on π–π interaction between nucleotides and ferrocene–graphene nanosheets†

Bangrong Zhuo,‡^a Yuqin Li,‡^b An Zhang,^a Fushen Lu,^a Yaowen Chen^c and Wenhua Gao*^ac

* Corresponding authors

^a Department of Chemistry, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, P. R. China
E-mail: whgao@stu.edu.cn
Fax: +86-22-82903941
Tel: +86-22-86502774

^b Department of Pharmacy, Taishan Medicine College, Taian, Shandong 271016, P. R. China

^c Analysis & Testing Center, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, P. R. China

Abstract

A solid-state electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor based on a DNA-modified electrode platform that depends on the variation of π–π interaction before and after the binding of target analytes is put forward. The single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe was successfully assembled on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), which was pre-modified with Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ complex and gold nanoparticles (GNPs). The ssDNA probe could strongly adsorb graphene due to the strong π–π interaction between nucleotides and graphene (GN), while in the presence of Hg²⁺, the conformational transformation of DNA from a single-stranded to a double-stranded structure resulted in inhibited adsorption of GN. With thymine (T)-rich ssDNA as a Hg²⁺ probe, we prepared the ECL biosensor by using ferrocene–graphene (Fc–GN) as a quenching unit to quench the ECL emission of Ru(bpy)₃²⁺, and the Hg²⁺ can be detected by quenching efficiency transformation when the Fc–GN gets away from Ru(bpy)₃²⁺. The biosensor exhibited a sensitive response to various ranges of concentration of Hg²⁺ with a detection limit of 18 pM. The ECL biosensor held great promise in the highly sensitive and selective detection of Hg²⁺ in natural water.

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Article information

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C4TB00115J
Article type: Paper
Submitted: 20 Jan 2014
Accepted: 29 Mar 2014
First published: 31 Mar 2014

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J. Mater. Chem. B, 2014,2, 3263-3270

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An electrochemiluminescence biosensor for sensitive and selective detection of Hg²⁺ based on π–π interaction between nucleotides and ferrocene–graphene nanosheets

B. Zhuo, Y. Li, A. Zhang, F. Lu, Y. Chen and W. Gao, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2014, 2, 3263 DOI: 10.1039/C4TB00115J

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Journal of Materials Chemistry B