Highly sensitive DNA sensor based on polypyrrole nanowire

This paper describes the development of a DNA sensor based on polypyrrole nanowire. By using potentiostatic technique, in the presence of gelatin as the soft mold, the polypyrrole nanowires were synthesized on the surface of the micro-sensor. The surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy shows that the NH ends of the polypyrrole nanowires orientate upward from the surface facilitating the DNA probe immobilization through the simple linkage with the phosphate groups of the probe DNA. The label-free signal readout was carried out by lock-in amplifier technique. The response time of the DNA sensor is 10 s and the measurement time was 5 min. The lowest detectable concentration of Escherichia coli DNA was 0.1 nM.