In this work, we developed a multivalent magnetic biosensing strategy by integrating magnetic separation and magnetic relaxation switching (MRS) where Gd3+-loaded magnetic nanoparticles acted as the probe. As a transition metal ion, Gd3+ has multiple unpaired electrons in the d-orbitals that can induce a strong fluctuating magnetic field and thus can reduce the transverse relaxation time (T2), contributing to a strong magnetic signal. By loading Gd3+ onto magnetic nanoparticles, we prepared a multivalent magnetic probe that combined magnetic separation and MRS for the signal readout. This multivalent sensing technique simplified the procedures and greatly enhanced the detection sensitivity of conventional MRS assays. A sensitive detection of ractopamine in real samples has been demonstrated with this multivalent sensing technique. The magnetic probe enabled the detection of ractopamine in a linear range from 0.1 to 100 ng/mL and the limit of detection was 20 pg/mL, a 25-fold enhancement in the sensitivity compared with conventional MRS assays. This Gd3+-nanoparticle-mediated MRS biosensor is a potential magnetic platform to detect trace levels of targets in complex samples.
Keywords: Biosensing; Gd(3+)-nanoparticle; Magnetic relaxation switching; Multivalent magnetic probe.
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