Emerging nanopipette tools have demonstrated substantial potential for advanced single-cell analysis, which plays vital roles from fundamental cellular biology to biomedical diagnostics. Highly recyclable nanopipettes with easy and quick regeneration are of special interest for precise and multiple measurements. However, existing recycle strategies are generally plagued by operational complexity and limited efficiency. Light, acting in a noncontact way, should be the ideal external stimulus to address this issue. Herein, we present the photocontrolled nanopipette capable of probing cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) gradient at single-cell level with good sensitivity, selectivity, and reversibility, which stems from the use of ATP-specific azobenzene (Azo)-incorporated DNA aptamer strands (AIDAS) and thereby the sensible transduction of variable nanopore size by the ionic currents passing through the aperture. Photoisomerized conformational change of the AIDAS by alternative UV/vis light stimulation ensures its noninvasive regeneration and repeated detection. Inducement and inhibition of the cellular ATP could also be probed by this nanosensor.
Keywords: ATP; azobenzene; electroanalysis; nanopipette; photocontrol; single cell.