Guifen Jie

Quantum dots-based multifunctional dendritic superstructure for amplified electrochemiluminescence detection of ATP

A novel multifunctional dendrimeric CdSe-CdS-Quantum dots (QDs) hybrid superstructure with highly intense electrochemiluminescence (ECL), fluorescence and excellent magnetic property is prepared for the first time, and successfully applied to amplified ECL assays of ATP using DNA cycle amplification technique. The magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were firstly assembled with unique dendrimer nanoclusters (NCs), then large numbers of QDs were labeled onto the dendrimer NCs, the superstructure exhibits highly enhanced ECL and fluorescence than the pure QDs. Remarkable ECL quenching of the nanocomposites by gold nanoparticles (GNPs) was observed, based on which a novel strategy for highly sensitive ATP detection was developed by cycle amplification technique. Furthermore, the nanocomposites with excellent magnetic properties can be easily labeled, separated and immobilized onto a magnetic electrode. In particular, all the procedures such as linking GNPs, sensing target and DNA cycle amplification were directly accomplished on the nanocomposites, which is more rapid, convenient, complete and has better reproducibility than the conventional methods on electrode. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the multifunctional QDs superstructure with highly intense ECL, fluorescence, excellent magnetism and its ECL biosensing, which opens a new pathway for developing QD-based nanocomposites for broad applications in ECL bioassays and optical imaging.

Silver nanowires-based signal amplification for CdSe quantum dots electrochemiluminescence immunoassay

A novel silver-cysteine hybrid nanowires (SCNWs) with many reactive carboxyl and amine groups were prepared, which enable them to be used as idea signal amplifying labels in bioassays. A large number of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) were loaded on the SCNWs to develop amplified SCNWs-QDs electrochemiluminescence (ECL) signal probe. The PAMAM dendrimer-SCNWs nanohybrids covered on the electrode constructed an effective antibody immobilization matrix and made the immobilized biomolecules hold high stability and bioactivity. Based on the specific sandwich immunoreaction strategy, the detection antibody (Ab2)-SCNWs-QDs ECL signal probe was applied to the sensitive signal-on ECL immunoassay of human IgG. The SCNWs-QDs ECL not only opens promising new ECL emitting species, but also promotes the development of novel ECL signal-transition platforms for biosensing devices.

Amplified electrochemiluminescence detection of cancer cells using a new bifunctional quantum dot as signal probe.

In this work, we prepared a new electrochemiluminescent signal probe using a small bifunctional composite quantum dot (QD) with intense electrochemiluminescence (ECL) and excellent magnetic property, and developed a sensitive ECL biosensor for detection of cancer cells via DNA cyclic amplification technique. The graphene oxide (GO) with unique electrical properties was used as nano-amplified platform to immobilize a large number of capture DNA (c-DNA1). The endonuclease-assisted amplification technique was applied to amplify the ECL signal change induced by target cells. Specifically, the bifunctional composite QDs with excellent magnetic property can be conveniently labeled, separated, and developed the ECL signal probe, thus an ECL method for rapid and sensitive detection of cancer cells was developed. So far, it is for the first time that the small magnetic electrochemiluminescent QDs were applied to the assays of cancer cells by using amplification strategy, which is expected to have great potential for early clinical diagnosis of cancer.

A novel silver nanocluster in situ synthesized as versatile probe for electrochemiluminescence and electrochemical detection of thrombin by multiple signal amplification strategy

In this work, a novel silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) were in situ synthesized and used as versatile electrochemiluminescence (ECL) and electrochemical (EL) signal probes for thrombin detection by using DNAzyme-assisted target recycling and hybridization chain reaction (HCR) multiple amplification strategy. The presence of target thrombin firstly opened the hairpin DNA, followed by DNAzyme-catalytic recycling cleavage of excess substrates, which could generate large number of substrate fragments (s1). Then these s1 fragments were captured by SH-DNA on the Au nanoparticle-modified electrode, which further triggered the subsequent HCR of the hairpin DNA probes (H1 and H2) to form the long dsDNA. The numerous AgNCs were thus in situ synthesized by incubation the dsDNA template (with cytosine-rich loop)-modified electrode in solution with AgNO3 and sodium borohydride. By integrating the DNAzyme recycling and HCR dual amplification strategy, the amount of AgNCs is dramatically enhanced, leading to substantially amplified ECL and electrochemical signals for sensitive thrombin detection. Importantly, this design introduces the novel AgNCs into versatile ECL and EL bioassays by multiple amplification strategy, thus it is promising to provide a highly sensitive platform for various target biomolecules.

AgNPs-3D nanostructure enhanced electrochemiluminescence of CdSe quantum dot coupled with strand displacement amplification for sensitive biosensing of DNA

A novel strategy using Ag nanoparticles-3D (AgNPs-3D) nanostructure enhanced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of CdSe quantum dots (QDs) coupled with strand displacement amplification (SDA) for sensitive biosensing of DNA was successfully designed. The prepared CdSe QDs with intense ECL were assembled on the poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites modified electrode, then gold nanoparticles (NPs) as the quenching probe was conjugated to the QDs, ECL signal was efficiently quenched. The target DNA induced cycling SDA and generated a large number of DNA s1. The released DNA s1 could open the hairpin DNA with quenching probe. So the presence of low levels of target DNA can potentially result in a significant enhancement of ECL signal. Furthermore, large number of AgNPs were then in situ reduced in the 3D DNA skeleton on the electrode, which dramaticlly enhanced ECL signal of QDs owing to the excellent electrical conductivity, and the much amplified ECL signal change has a quantitative relation with the target DNA. So by combining the AgNPs-3D nanostructure and cycling SDA to achieve greatly amplified detection of DNA, the promising ECL strategy could provide a highly sensitive platform for various biomolecules and has a good prospect for clinical diagnosis in the future.

Amplified electrochemiluminescence detection of DNA based on novel quantum dots signal probe by multiple cycling amplification strategy

In the present work, we designed a unique enzyme-aided multiple amplification strategy for sensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection of DNA by using the amplified gold nanoparticles (GNPS)-polyamidoamine (PAMAM)-CdSe quantum dots (QDs) signal probe. Firstly, the novel GNPS-PAMAM dendrimers nanostructure with good biocompatibility and electroconductibility contains many amino groups, which can load a large number of CdSe QDs to develop amplified ECL signal probe. Then, the presence of target DNA activated the enzyme-assisted polymerization strand-displacement cycling reaction, and a large number of the hairpin template was opened. Subsequently, the opened stem further interacted with the capture hairpin (HP) DNA on the electrode, and the GNPS-PAMAM-CdSe signal probe hybridized with the exposed stem of the HP to trigger the second new polymerization reaction. Meanwhile, the first cycle was generating abundant DNA triggers which could directly open the template. As a result of the cascade amplification technique, a large number of CdSe QDs signal probe could be assembled on the electrode, generating much amplified ECL signal for sensitive detection of target DNA. Thus, this novel QDs-based amplified ECL strategy holds great promise for DNA detection and can be further exploited for sensing applications in clinical diagnostics.

Amplified electrochemiluminescence detection of CEA based on magnetic Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles-assembled Ru@SiO2 nanocomposites combined with multiple cycling amplification strategy

In this work, we designed a new strategy for ultrasensitive detection of CEA based on efficient electrochemiluminescence (ECL) quenching of Ru(bpy)32+-doped SiO2 nanocomposite by ferrocene using target recycling amplification technique. A large number of Ru@SiO2 ECL signal probe were firstly assembled on the novel magnetic core-shell Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles (NPs), then the ferrocene-labeled ECL quenching probe (Fc-probe) was linked to the magnetic NPs. Finally, numerous DNA1 sequences were produced by target CEA-triggered multiple recycling amplification and displaced the Fc-probe on the magnetic NPs, leading to significantly enhanced ECL signal for CEA detection. Because of the designed cascade signal amplification strategy, the newly developed method achieved a wide linear range of 10 fg/mL to 10 ng/mL with a low detection limit of  3.5 fg/mL. Furthermore, taking advantages of the magnetic Fe3O4@Au NPs for carring abundant signal probes, sensing target and ECL detection, the developed ECL strategy is convenient, rapid and displayed high sensitivity for CEA detection, which has great potential for analyzing the clinical samples in practical disease diagnosis applications.