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Fluorometric determination of mercury(II) using positively charged gold nanoparticles, DNA-templated silver nanoclusters, T-Hg(II)-T interaction and exonuclease assisted signal amplification

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Abstract

The authors describe a method for detection of Hg2+ by using positively charged gold nanoparticles ((+)AuNPs) as a quencher of the fluorescence of DNA-capped silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) which are negatively charged. In the presence of Hg2+, a DNA duplex is formed through T-Hg2+-T coordination chemistry. The duplex can be digested by exonuclease III to form smaller DNA fragments. This leads to the release of the AgNCs and the recovery of fluorescence, best measured at excitation/emission wavelengths of 460/530 nm. The (+)AuNPs and Hg2+ are also released and can be reused for target recycling signal amplification. Based on these findings, a method is worked out for the determination of Hg2+ that works in the 5.0 pM to 10 nM concentration range and has a detection limit as low as 2.3 pM. It is highly selective because of the highly specific formation of T-Hg2+-T bonds.

By using ultrastable and positively charged gold nanoparticles as fluorescence quenchers and exonuclease assisted signal amplification, a method is developed for the sensitive and selective detection of Hg2+ in water samples.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21305053), the Natural Science Foundation of Xuzhou City (KC18140), and the project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, 221116, China

    Haiyan Ma, Ning Xue, Shujie Wu, Zongbing Li & Xiangmin Miao

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  1. Haiyan Ma
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  2. Ning Xue
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  3. Shujie Wu
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  4. Zongbing Li
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  5. Xiangmin Miao
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Correspondence to Zongbing Li or Xiangmin Miao.

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Ma, H., Xue, N., Wu, S. et al. Fluorometric determination of mercury(II) using positively charged gold nanoparticles, DNA-templated silver nanoclusters, T-Hg(II)-T interaction and exonuclease assisted signal amplification. Microchim Acta 186, 317 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-019-3388-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-019-3388-7

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