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Electrochemical gene sensor based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with hemin-functionalized reduced graphene oxide and gold nanoparticle-immobilized probe DNA

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Abstract

The authors describe an electrochemical DNA biosensor based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and reduced graphene oxide that was functionalized with hemin (hemin-rGO). Capture DNA (a 21-mer) is immobilized on the AuNPs via gold-thiol chemistry. The detection scheme relies on the measurement of the differential pulse voltammetric current change of the oxidation-reduction reaction of hemin before and after DNA hybridization has occurred. The decrease in the voltammetric currents of iron (III) (best measured at −0.3 V vs. Ag/AgCl) is linearly related to the concentration of complementary DNA. The calibration plot covers the 1.0 aM to 0.1 pM concentration range, and the detection limit is as low as 0.14 aM (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3). The biosensor was successfully applied to the direct determination of complementary DNA in self-prepared samples by using the standard addition method.

An electrochemical DNA biosensor was developed on a platform of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and hemin functionalized reduced graphene oxide (hemin-rGO). The principle of DNA detection is based on the voltammetric current change of oxidation-reduction reaction of iron (III) at the core of hemin before and after DNA hybridization.

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Acknowledgments

The project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31401573), Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province (No. 1508085MC42 and 1508085MC47), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. JZ2015QSJH0217), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2016M592050), Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou, China (No. 201604020036), and Open Research Fund of Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, Southeast University (2015EME003).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Food Science and Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China

    Yongkang Ye, Jiaona Gao, Hanju Sun, Yingwang Ye & Xiaodong Cao

  2. Institute of Materials Engineering, University of Siegen, Paul-Bonatz-Str. 9-11, 57076, Siegen, Germany

    Hao Zhuang

  3. Technology Center of Anhui Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Hefei, 230032, China

    Haisong Zheng

  4. College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China

    Xuan Xu

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  1. Yongkang Ye
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  2. Jiaona Gao
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  3. Hao Zhuang
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  4. Haisong Zheng
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  5. Hanju Sun
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  6. Yingwang Ye
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  7. Xuan Xu
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  8. Xiaodong Cao
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Correspondence to Haisong Zheng or Xiaodong Cao.

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Ye, Y., Gao, J., Zhuang, H. et al. Electrochemical gene sensor based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with hemin-functionalized reduced graphene oxide and gold nanoparticle-immobilized probe DNA. Microchim Acta 184, 245–252 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-016-1999-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-016-1999-9

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