Graphitic C3N4 nanosheet and hemin/G-quadruplex DNAzyme-based label-free chemiluminescence aptasensing for biomarkers

Abstract

Here we first reported that graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet (g-C3N4 NS) could effectively quench the chemiluminescence (CL) of luminol-hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) system. According to the new discovery, a label-free and homogeneous CL aptasensing platform was designed for sensitive detecting of biomarkers. In the absence of target, DNA probe containing hemin/G-quadruplex DNAzyme structure was adsorbed on the surface of g-C3N4 NS, causing the CL quenching of luminol through an electron transfer process. However, in the presence of the target, a DNA-DNA duplex was formed due to DNA hybridization reaction and target recognition effect, which could not be adsorbed onto the g-C3N4 NS surface because of its weak affinity. Thus, the electron transfer was blocked and the CL emission of luminol could be enhanced. The proposed CL aptasensor could detect carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) with a detection limit of 63.0 pg/mL and it can also be used as a general detecting strategy for adenosinetriphosphate (ATP) detection. This aptasensing platform exhibited high sensitivity toward biomarkers and the probe need not be labeled, showing great promise for disease diagnosis.