A DNA sensor based on upconversion nanoparticles and two-dimensional dichalcogenide materials

Abstract

We demonstrate the fabrication of a new DNA sensor that is based on the optical interactions occurring between oligonucleotide-coated NaYF₄: Yb³⁺; Er³⁺ upconversion nanoparticles and the two-dimensional dichalcogenide materials, MoS₂ and WS₂. Monodisperse upconversion nanoparticles were functionalized with single-stranded DNA endowing the nanoparticles with the ability to interact with the surface of the two-dimensional materials via van der Waals interactions leading to subsequent quenching of the upconversion fluorescence. By contrast, in the presence of a complementary oligonucleotide target and the formation of double-stranded DNA, the upconversion nanoparticles could not interact with MoS₂ and WS₂, thus retaining their inherent fluorescence properties. Utilizing this sensor we were able to detect target oligonucleotides with high sensitivity and specificity whilst reaching a concentration detection limit as low as 5 mol·L^–1, within minutes.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

upconversion nanoparticles / DNA sensor / two-dimensional materials / MoS₂ / WS₂

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Acknowledgments

Antonios G. Kanaras, Otto L. Muskens and Davide Giust would like to acknowledge funding from BBSRC (Grant No. BB/N021150/1). Konstantina Alexaki would like to thank the University of Southampton for a Mayflower doctor of philosophy studentship.

Electronic Supplementary Material

ƒSupplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-020-2023-9. Additional Raw data of this work is available at https://doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/D1553.

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