A simple “clickable” biosensor for colorimetric detection of copper(II) ions based on unmodified gold nanoparticles

A novel colorimetric copper(II) biosensor has been developed based on the high specificity of alkyne-azide click reaction to the catalysis of copper ions and unmodified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as the signal reporter. The clickable DNA probe consists of two parts: an azide group-modified double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) hybrid with an elongated tail and a short alkyne-modified single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). Because of low melting temperature of the short ssDNA, these two parts are separated in the absence of Cu2+. Copper ion-induced azide-alkyne click ligation caused a structural change of probe from the separated form to entire dsDNA form. This structural change of probe can be monitored by the unmodified AuNPs via mediating their aggregation with a red-to-blue colorimetric read-out because of the differential ability of ssDNA and dsDNA to protect AuNPs against salt-induced aggregation. Under the optimum conditions, this biosensor can sensitively and specifically detect Cu2+ with a low detection limit of 250 nM and a linear range of 0.5-10 μM. The method is simple and economic without dual-labeling DNA and AuNPs modification. It is also highly selective for Cu2+ in the presence of high concentrations of other environmentally relevant metal ions because of the great specificity of the copper-caused alkyne-azide click reaction, which potentially meets the requirement of the detection in real samples.