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Silver nanocluster based sensitivity amplification of a quartz crystal microbalance gene sensor

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Abstract

The article describes a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) biosensor for the determination of nucleic acids via a DNA-templated assembly of silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) which represents a novel way for efficient signal amplification. A QCM was modified with probe DNA to specifically capture target DNA. Then, DNA-templated AgNCs were assembled to enhance the sensitivity of the QCM sensor via Ag(I) ions attached to the DNA skeleton, this followed by hydroquinone-induced reductive formation of the AgNCs. TEM and AFM were used to further confirm the formation of DNA-templated AgNCs. The results showed that frequency response of QCM sensor is up to 87 times larger when using this mode of amplification. A linear relationship was obtained between the frequency response and DNA concentration over the 0.6 to 130 nM range, with a 0.1 nM detection limit. In our perception, this scheme for improved sensitivity provides a straightforward and widely applicable tool for sensing DNA.

A novel quartz crystal microbalance biosensor was developed for highly sensitive and label-free detection of nucleic acid through DNA-templated assembly of silver nanoclusters as an efficient signal amplifier.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 21375048).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People’s Republic of China

    Lin Zhou, Peng Lu, Mingyao Zhu, Baole Li, Peihui Yang & Jiye Cai

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  1. Lin Zhou
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  2. Peng Lu
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  3. Mingyao Zhu
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  4. Baole Li
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  5. Peihui Yang
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  6. Jiye Cai
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Correspondence to Peihui Yang.

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Zhou, L., Lu, P., Zhu, M. et al. Silver nanocluster based sensitivity amplification of a quartz crystal microbalance gene sensor. Microchim Acta 183, 881–887 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-015-1728-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-015-1728-9

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