Aptamer-conjugated silver nanoparticles for electrochemical detection of adenosine triphosphate

The capability of silver nanoparticles (SNP) as redox tag in the construction of an electrochemical aptasensor for the detection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is investigated in the present manuscript. To construct the aptasensor, a well-known ATP binding aptamer (ABA) splits into two segments. The first amino-labeled segment of the aptamer was covalently immobilized on 3-mercaptopropionic acid modified gold electrode surface by the formation of carbodiimide bond. The second segment was modified by SNPs and associated with the first segment in the presence of ATP. The direct oxidation signal of SNPs is followed as the analytical signal to detect ATP. The sandwich assay shows a suitable signal gain and importantly, a good response time. The sensor can detect the concentrations of ATP as low as micromolar scales with a desirable stability under optimum conditions. Furthermore, analog nucleotides including GTP, UTP and CTP, do not show serious interferences and this sensor readily detects its target in a complex media such as human blood plasma.

► A sandwich assay aptasensor for electrochemical detection of adenosine triphosphate has been introduced.
► Silver nanoparticles have been used as redox reporters for the first time in electrochemical aptasensors.
► The biosensor shows a desirable signal gain and importantly, a good response time.
► The present aptasensor can detect the concentrations of ATP as low as micromolar.