Quanbo Wang

Fluorescence Quenching of Carbon Nitride Nanosheet through Its Interaction with DNA for Versatile Fluorescence Sensing

This work investigates the interaction of carbon nitride nanosheet (CNNS), a recently developed two-dimensional nanomaterial, with DNA and its fluorescence quenching mechanism on fluorophore labeled single-stranded DNA probes. The static quenching through the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the excited fluorophore to the conductive band of CNNS is identified. Utilizing the affinity change of CNNS to DNA probes upon their recognition to targets and the PET-based fluorescence quenching effect, a universal sensing strategy is proposed for design of several homogeneous fluorescence detection methods with short assay time and high sensitivity. This strategy is versatile and can be combined with different amplification tools for quick fluorescence sensing of DNA and extensive DNA related analytes such as metal cations, small molecules, and proteins. As examples, two simple fluorescence detection methods for DNA and Hg(2+), one facile detection method coupled with Exo III-mediated target recycling for sensitive DNA analysis, and a ratiometric fluorescence protocol for DNA detection are proposed. This work provides an avenue for understanding the interaction between two-dimensional nanomaterials and biomolecules and designing novel sensing strategies for extending the applications of nanomaterials in bioanalysis.

Anodic electrochemiluminescence of graphitic-phase C3N4 nanosheets for sensitive biosensing

This work observed the anodic electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of C₃N₄ nanosheets (CNNS) for the first time. The ECL emission was 40 times stronger than that from bulk g-C₃N₄ in the presence of triethylamine (Et₃N) as a coreactant due to large surface-to-volume ratio, which enhanced the sensitivity for biosensing. At pH 7.0, the CNNS modified electrode prepared with 0.75 mg mL(-1) CNNS in 0.025% chitosan solution possesses good stability and acceptable reproducibility in the presence of 30 mM Et₃N. The ECL mechanism of CNNS/Et₃N system was proposed to be emitted from the excited CNNS, which was produced during the reaction between the electro-oxidation products of CNNS and coreactant Et₃N. Based on the annihilation between the oxidation product of dopamine (DA(+)) and Et₃N radical, a quenching-based method was established for sensitive and specific detection of dopamine ranging from 1.0 nM to 100 nM with a detection limit of 96 pM by using the CNNS nanosheets as an ECL emitter. The proposed method showed excellent specificity, high sensitivity and low detection limit, and could be applied in analysis of real samples.

Electrochemiluminescent DNA sensing using carbon nitride nanosheets as emitter for loading of hemin labeled single-stranded DNA

Carbon nitride nanosheets (CNNS) have been reported as a cathodic electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emitter in the presence of dissolved oxygen to produce an endogenous coreactant H2O2 on electrode surface. This work uses this emitter to construct an ECL sensing platform for sensitive DNA detection through its adsorption ability toward single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). The adsorption of hemin-labeled ssDNA on CNNS leads to in situ consumption of dissolved oxygen via hemin-mediated electrocatalytic reduction, thus decreases the formation of coreactant and quenches the ECL emission of CNNS. The ECL sensing platform is designed using hemin-labeled ssDNA to recognize the target DNA, which results in the departure of hemin-labeled hybridization product from the CNNS modified electrode, thus inhibits the annihilation of coreactant and recovers the ECL emission. Under optimized conditions, the proposed sensing strategy shows a wide detection range over 6 orders of magnitude and wondrously high sensitivity with a detection limit down to 2.0 fM. Moreover, the ECL sensor exhibits good performance with excellent selectivity, high reliability, and acceptable fabrication reproducibility. The sensitive sensing strategy provides a new paradigm for the design of ultrasensitive detection method.

Folate Receptor-Targeted and Cathepsin B-Activatable Nanoprobe for In Situ Therapeutic Monitoring of Photosensitive Cell Death

The integration of diagnostic and therapeutic functions in a single system holds great promise to enhance the theranostic efficacy and prevent the under- or overtreatment. Herein, a folate receptor-targeted and cathepsin B-activatable nanoprobe is designed for background-free cancer imaging and selective therapy. The nanoprobe is prepared by noncovalently assembling phospholipid-poly(ethylene oxide) modified folate and photosensitizer-labeled peptide on the surface of graphene oxide. After selective uptake of the nanoprobe into lysosome of cancer cells via folate receptor-mediated endocytosis, the peptide can be cleaved to release the photosensitizer in the presence of cancer-associated cathepsin B, which leads to 18-fold fluorescence enhancement for cancer discrimination and specific detection of intracellular cathepsin B. Under irradiation, the released photosensitizer induces the formation of cytotoxic singlet oxygen for triggering photosensitive lysosomal cell death. After lysosomal destruction, the lighted photosensitizer diffuses from lysosome into cytoplasm, which provides a visible method for in situ monitoring of therapeutic efficacy. The nanoprobe exhibits negligible dark toxicity and high phototoxicity with the cell mortality rate of 0.06% and 72.1%, respectively, and the latter is specific to folate receptor-positive cancer cells. Therefore, this work provides a simple but powerful protocol with great potential in precise cancer imaging, therapy, and therapeutic monitoring.

Dendritic DNA–porphyrin as mimetic enzyme for amplified fluorescent detection of DNA

In this work, a novel dendritic DNA-porphyrin superstructure was designed as mimetic enzyme for the amplified fluorescent detection of DNA. The dendritic DNA superstructure was in situ assembled with three auxiliary DNAs via hybridization chain reaction. With groove interaction between iron porphyrin (FeTMPyP) and double-stranded DNA, the dendritic DNA superstructure is capable to gather abundant FeTMPyP molecules to form dendritic DNA-FeTMPyP mimetic enzyme. Using tyramine as a substrate, the dendritic DNA-FeTMPyP demonstrated excellent peroxidase-like catalytic oxidation of tyramine into fluorescent dityramine in the presence of H2O2. Based on an amplified fluorescence signal, a signal on strategy is proposed for DNA detection with high sensitivity, good specificity and practicability. The assembly of porphyrin with dendritic DNA not only provided the new avenue to construct mimetic enzyme but also established label-free sensing platform for a wide range of analytes.