title: Detection of mercury(II) by DNA templated gold nanoclusters based on forming thymidine-Hg(2+)-thymidine duplexes.
abstract: We have successfully synthesized gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) templated with DNA (5'-CCCCCCCCCCCCTTTTTT-3'), and subsequently employed the fluorescent DNA-AuNCs as a novel probe for sensitive detections of mercury ions (Hg(2+)). Basically, the procedure is due to the formation of thymidine-Hg(2+)-thymidine duplexes between DNA-AuNCs and Hg(2+), thus leading to aggregations of DNA-AuNCs described here occurring, and facilitating their fluorescence decrease. Significantly, this decrease of fluorescent signals permitted sensitive detection of Hg(2+) in a linear range of 0.1-100 µmol L(-1), with a detection limit of 0.083 µmol L(-1) at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Additionally, the practicality of this probe for assaying Hg(2+) in human urine and lake water samples was further validated, and showed various advantages including simplicity, selectivity, sensitivity and low cost, demonstrating its potential to broaden ways for assaying Hg(2+) in real samples.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmaceutical Sciences Engineering Research Center of Chongqing Pharmaceutical Process and Quality Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China.
authors.forename: Shanshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmaceutical Sciences Engineering Research Center of Chongqing Pharmaceutical Process and Quality Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhuo
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmaceutical Sciences Engineering Research Center of Chongqing Pharmaceutical Process and Quality Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmaceutical Sciences Engineering Research Center of Chongqing Pharmaceutical Process and Quality Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmaceutical Sciences Engineering Research Center of Chongqing Pharmaceutical Process and Quality Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D060106:Lakes / Q000032:analysis; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000652:urine; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D013936:Thymidine / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D006046:Gold; D004247:DNA; D008628:Mercury; D013936:Thymidine
keywords: DNA templated gold nanoclusters; Hg2+; detection; thymidine-Hg2+-thymidine duplexes