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Biomimetic phosphate assay based on nanopores obtained by immobilization of zirconium(IV) on a film of polyethyleneimine

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Abstract

A biomimetic ion-responsive single nanopore sensor was constructed by immobilizing zirconium(IV) ion on a film of poly(ethylene terephthalate) whose surface was modified with polyethyleneimine (PEI) to form nanopores. PEI is an excellent metal-chelating ligand that was initially modified on the surface of the membrane through amidation. The Zr-chelated nanopore responds to inorganic phosphate by a change in the ion current–voltage plot. This is due to a reversal of the charge from positive to negative after binding of the phosphate to the tip of the ion channel. Inorganic phosphate can be quantified by measurement of the extent of rectification. The limit of detection of the method is 118 nM, and response is linear in the 0 to 40 μM phosphate concentration range. The formation of the Zr(IV)/phosphate system on the surface was corroborated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and current–voltage characterization. The single synthetic nanopore display excellent selectivity, high sensitivity and a wide response range for phosphate. The accuracy of the method and applicability of the nanopore-based detection scheme was proven by the successful determination of inorganic phosphate in (spiked) lake water and a cola drink.

The Zr-chelated nanopore responds to inorganic phosphate by a change in the ion current–voltage plot due to a reversal of the charge from positive to negative after binding of the phosphate to the tip of the ion channel. Inorganic phosphate can be quantified by measurement of the extent of rectification. Nanopore-based assay can successful determine inorganic phosphate in (spiked) lake water and a cola drink.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 21275137) and the Fundamental Research Funds of Shandong University (NO. 2015TB005). The authors also thank GSI for providing track-etched membranes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Engineering Research Center for Colloidal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, People’s Republic China

    Siqi Zhang & Jiahai Wang

  2. College of Sciences, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, People’s Republic China

    Siqi Zhang & Ting Sun

Authors
  1. Siqi Zhang
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  2. Ting Sun
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  3. Jiahai Wang
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Correspondence to Jiahai Wang.

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Zhang, S., Sun, T. & Wang, J. Biomimetic phosphate assay based on nanopores obtained by immobilization of zirconium(IV) on a film of polyethyleneimine. Microchim Acta 182, 1387–1393 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-015-1459-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-015-1459-y

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