On-site, rapid and visual method for nanomolar Hg2+ detection based on the thymine–Hg2+–thymine triggered "double" aggregation of Au nanoparticles enhancing the Tyndall effect. Issue 58 (17th November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Xuejiang; Sun, Yao; Mo, Xiaomei; Gao, Qian; Deng, Yanan; Hu, Miao; Zou, Jianmei; Nie, Jinfang; Zhang, Yun
• Is Part Of: RSC advances. Volume 11:Issue 58(2021)
• Page Start: 36859
• Page End: 36865
• Publication Date: 2021-11-17
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/d1ra07211k
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2046-2069

Abstract

Abstract : A new equipment-free colorimetric nanosensor was initially developed for quantitative point-of-need detection of nanomolar Hg 2+ ions based on the enhancement in Tyndall effect of Au nanoparticles via their target-triggered "double" aggregation. Abstract : This work describes a new nanosensor for the simple, rapid, portable, colorimetric analysis of mercury(ii ) (Hg 2+ ) ions by combining the sensitive Tyndall effect (TE) of colloidal Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) with specific thymine–Hg 2+ –thymine (T–Hg 2+ –T) coordination chemistry for the first time. For the TE-inspired assay (TEA), in the presence of Hg 2+ in a sample, the analyte can selectively mediate the hybridization of three types of flexible single-stranded DNAs (ssDNAs) to form stable rigid double-stranded DNAs (dsDNAs) via the T–Hg 2+ –T ligand interaction. Subsequent self-assembly of the dsDNAs with terminal thiol groups on the AuNPs' surfaces led to their "double" aggregation in addition to the lack of sufficient ssDNAs as the stabilizing molecules in a high-salt solution, resulting in a remarkably enhanced TE signal that positively relied on the Hg 2+ level. The results demonstrated that such a TEA method enabled rapid naked-eye qualitative analysis of 625 nM Hg 2+ within 10 min with an inexpensive laser pointer pen as an inexpensive handheld light source to generate the TE response. Making use of a smartphone for portable TE readout could further quantitatively detect the Hg 2+ ions in a linear concentration range from 156 to 2500 nM with a limit of detection as low as 25 nM. Moreover, the developed equipment-free nanosensor was also used to analyze the Hg 2+ ions in real samples including tap water, drinking water, and pond water, the obtained recoveries were within the range of 93.68 to 108.71%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of using the AuNPs and functional nucleic acids to design a TE-based biosensor for the analysis of highly toxic heavy metal ions.