A colorimetric nanobiosensor with enhanced sensitivity for detection of lead (II) in real-water samples via an adenine-cytosine mismatched DNAzyme

Highlights

● A colorimetric nanobiosensor with one-step was developed for Pb²⁺ detection.

● An A-C mismatched DNAzyme was designed to improve the sensitivity.

● The detection limit of 8.6 nmol/L was achieved for Pb²⁺.

● Satisfactory recoveries were achieved in various real water samples.

● An entire detection time was less than 30 min.

Abstract

Facile and ultrasensitive detection of Pb²⁺ in water for remote or resource-limited environments remains challenging. DNAzyme-based colorimetric nanobiosensors have been extensively studied to regulate the assembly of functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). However, these nanobiosensors have been criticized for their low sensitivity owing to the difficulty of dissociating DNAzyme embedded in AuNP aggregates. To address this issue, we rationally designed a DNAzyme by introducing an adenine-cytosine (A-C) mismatch to strengthen the disassembly of DNAzyme-linked nanostructures. As proof of concept, a “turn on” colorimetric nanobiosensor integrated with mismatched DNAzyme and functionalized AuNPs was first developed for Pb²⁺ detection. Under the optimal detection conditions, the obtained typical calibration curve shows a detection limit of 8.6 nmol/L, with an approximately 11-fold sensitivity improvement in Pb²⁺ detection compared with unmismatched DNAzyme, and a linear response range from 10 to 300 nmol/L. This nanobiosensor demonstrated robust selectivity and satisfactory recovery rates between 86.5% and 106.4% for Pb²⁺ in spiked environmental water samples. Additionally, the detection process is user-friendly and can be completed within 30 min, requiring only a simple water sample addition step. Considering the extensive applications of DNAzyme in conjunction with nanoparticles, this study provides a valuable reference for designing other DNAzyme-powered nanoparticle assemblies in biosensing systems.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Trace lead(II) ions / Modified mismatched DNAzyme / Gold nanoparticles / Colorimetric nanobiosensor / Environmental water samples

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Basic Research Project of Shanxi Province, China (202203021222086), and the start-up foundation of Taiyuan University of Technology, China (RY2400000583).

Conflict of Interests

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-024-1916-0 and is accessible for authorized users.

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