巯基修饰的可以与Hg^2+特异性结合的DNA序列(poly-T)被共价连接在纳米金颗粒表面,构成纳米捕获探针。当检测到Hg^2+时,不同纳米金颗粒表面的DNA发生Hg^2+介导的配对形成准双链结构,纳米金颗粒之间的距离被拉近,导致纳米金颗粒的团聚,颜色由红色变成蓝紫色。检测前,Hg^2+浓度用电感耦合等离子质谱仪(Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry,ICP-MS)进行标定,以排除汞盐潮解引起的浓度误差对检测灵敏度的影响。用这种基于纳米金和DNA的生物传感方法检测Hg^2+,检测限最低可达5μmol/L;对Ca^2+、Mg^2+等其它8种二价金属离子进行对照实验的结果表明,该方法不仅具有灵敏度高、选择性好的特点,而且方法简单、快速、成本低、便于普及。
A high sensitive colorimetric mercury (Ⅱ) biosensor based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is reported. Thiolated T-rich oligonucleotides were assembled on the surface of AuNPs, which was used as a probe to recognize Hg(Ⅱ) specifically. The solution was red when the AuNPs were dispersed in the system without target Hg (Ⅱ). However, the solution of AuNPs would change to blue when it probed the Hg (Ⅱ) due to the formation of aggregates of AuNPs. The formation of the T-Hga^2+-T structure would shorten the distance between the AuNPs, resulting in the formation of aggregates and the color change from red to blue that can be observed with naked eyes. This mercury (Ⅱ) sensor is found to be have high sensitivity and selectivity, as it allows a fast (in minutes) identification of 5pmol/L Hg (Ⅱ) without any detectable perturbation by a spectrum of non-specific metal ions.