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Label-free electrochemical DNA biosensor based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with gold nanoparticles, polythionine, and graphene

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Abstract

We describe the fabrication of a sensitive label-free electrochemical biosensor for the determination of sequence-specific target DNA. It is based on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with graphene, gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs), and polythionine (pThion). Thionine was firstly electropolymerized on the surface of the GCE that was modified with graphene by cyclic voltammetry. The Au-NPs were subsequently deposited on the surface of the pThion/graphene composite film by adsorption. Scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical methods were used to investigate the assembly process. Differential pulse voltammetry was employed to monitor the hybridization of DNA by measuring the changes in the peak current of pThion. Under optimal conditions, the decline of the peak current is linearly related to the logarithm of the concentration of the target DNA in the range from 0.1 pM to 10 nM, with a detection limit of 35 fM (at an S/N of 3). The biosensor exhibits good selectivity, acceptable stability and reproducibility.

A label-free DNA biosensor based on Au-NPs/pThion/graphene modified electrode has been fabricated. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was employed to monitor DNA hybridization event by measurement of the peak current changes of pThion.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 20675002), which financially supported this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Key Laboratory of Chemo-Biosensing, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241000, People’s Republic of China

    Yuzhong Zhang & Lei Huang

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  1. Yuzhong Zhang
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  2. Lei Huang
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Correspondence to Yuzhong Zhang.

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Zhang, Y., Huang, L. Label-free electrochemical DNA biosensor based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with gold nanoparticles, polythionine, and graphene. Microchim Acta 176, 463–470 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-011-0742-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-011-0742-9

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