Electrochemiluminescence aptasensor for lincomycin antigen detection by using a SnO2/chitosan/g-C3N4 nanocomposite

Abstract

In this paper, hydrothermal method was used for the synthesis of SnO2 quantum dots (QDs). The prepared SnO2 QDs have a uniform particle size distribution and good electrochemiluminescence (ECL) property. Then the prepared SnO2 QDs was combined with graphene-like carbon nitride (g-C3N4) through chitosan to form SnO2/chitosan/g-C3N4 nanocomposite and used for detecting the lincomycin. The characteristics of SnO2/chitosan/g-C3N4 nanocomposite were presented by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and the analytical results proving that the nanocomposite was prepared successfully. In this strategy, the SnO2/chitosan/g-C3N4 nanocomposite was acted as the substrate of aptasensor. Then, SH-DNA (aptamer DNA) was assembled on the surface of electrode, after 6-mercaptohexanol (MCH) blocked the unbound sites of the electrode surface, ferrocene-DNA (Fc-DNA) was incubated on the electrode surface through base complementation with aptamer DNA. In the absence of lincomycin, due to the low conductivity of Fc-DNA and the photo-excited energy electron transfer, the ECL signal was quenched. In the presence of lincomycin, the aptamer DNA was specific binding with lincomycin, and ferrocene-DNA (Fc-DNA) was detached from the surface of aptasensor electrode, generating an obviously enhancement of ECL signal. To ensure the accuracy of the data, each electrode runs continuously for 3600 s. Under optimal experimental conditions, the detection range of the aptasensor was 0.10 ng mL−1 - 0.10 mg mL−1, and the detection limit was 0.028 ng mL−1. In addition, the aptasensor has good stability and reproducibility, and also provided a hopeful device for all kinds of other protein target.