SERS discrimination of single DNA bases in single oligonucleotides by electro-plasmonic trapping

Nat Commun. 2019 Nov 22;10(1):5321. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-13242-x.

Abstract

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensing of DNA bases by plasmonic nanopores could pave a way to novel methods for DNA analyses and new generation single-molecule sequencing platforms. The SERS discrimination of single DNA bases depends critically on the time that a DNA strand resides within the plasmonic hot spot. In fact, DNA molecules flow through the nanopores so rapidly that the SERS signals collected are not sufficient for single-molecule analysis. Here, we report an approach to control the residence time of molecules in the hot spot by an electro-plasmonic trapping effect. By directly adsorbing molecules onto a gold nanoparticle and then trapping the single nanoparticle in a plasmonic nanohole up to several minutes, we demonstrate single-molecule SERS detection of all four DNA bases as well as discrimination of single nucleobases in a single oligonucleotide. Our method can be extended easily to label-free sensing of single-molecule amino acids and proteins.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenine / analysis
  • Cytosine / analysis
  • DNA / analysis*
  • DNA / chemistry
  • Gold
  • Guanine / analysis
  • Metal Nanoparticles*
  • Nanopores*
  • Optical Tweezers*
  • Optics and Photonics
  • Single Molecule Imaging / methods*
  • Spectrum Analysis, Raman / methods*
  • Thymine / analysis

Substances

  • Guanine
  • Gold
  • Cytosine
  • DNA
  • Adenine
  • Thymine