Novel Ultralow-Potential Electrochemiluminescence Aptasensor for the Highly Sensitive Detection of Zearalenone Using a Resonance Energy Transfer System

Shi Xiang; Jingxian Li; Futing Wang; Hongfen Yang; Yifei Jiang; Penghui Zhang; Ren Cai; Weihong Tan

doi:10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03437

Novel Ultralow-Potential Electrochemiluminescence Aptasensor for the Highly Sensitive Detection of Zearalenone Using a Resonance Energy Transfer System

Anal Chem. 2023 Oct 10;95(40):15125-15132. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03437. Epub 2023 Sep 29.

Authors

Shi Xiang^{1

2}, Jingxian Li¹, Futing Wang¹, Hongfen Yang², Yifei Jiang³, Penghui Zhang³, Ren Cai¹, Weihong Tan^{1

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory for Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Material Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China.
² Hunan Key Laboratory of Typical Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards, School of Public Health, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan 421001, China.
³ The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China.
⁴ Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.

PMID: 37774402
DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03437

Abstract

An ultralow-potential electrochemiluminescence (ECL) aptasensor has been designed for zearalenone (ZEN) assay based on a resonance energy transfer (RET) system with SnS₂ QDs/g-C₃N₄ as a novel luminophore and CuO/NH₂-UiO-66 as a dual-quencher. SnS₂ QDs were loaded onto g-C₃N₄ nanosheets and enhanced the ECL luminescence via strong synergistic effects under an ultralow potential. The UV-vis absorption spectrum of CuO/NH₂-UiO-66 exhibits considerable overlap with the ECL emission spectrum of SnS₂ QDs/g-C₃N₄, an important consideration for the RET process. In order to stimulate RET, the ZEN aptamer and complementary DNA are introduced for conjugation between the donor and the acceptor. With the binding interaction between ZEN by its aptamer, CuO/NH₂-UiO-66 is removed from the electrode surface, resulting in the inhibition of the RET system and an increase in the ECL signal. Under optimal conditions, the as-prepared aptasensor quantified ZEN from 0.5 μg·mL^-1 to 0.1 fg·mL^-1 with a low limit of detection of 0.085 fg·mL^-1, and it exhibited good stability, excellent specificity, high reproducibility, and desirable practicality. The sensing strategy provides a method for mycotoxins assay to monitor food safety.