Detection of femtomolar proteins by nonfluorescent ZnS nanocrystal clusters

Cation exchange (CX) in the nonfluorescent ZnS nanocrystal clusters (NCCs) was employed to detect trace biomolecules with immunoassays. The NCCs were porous and allowed fast cation exchange reaction to release an ultralarge number of Zn(2+) from each cluster that turned on the Zn-responsive dyes for fluorescence detection. The ZnS NCCs were highly stable in biological buffers and more biocompatible than quantum dots. Zn(2+) release efficiency and target binding by NCCs with average diameters of 44 nm, 86 nm, and 144 nm were investigated. The smallest NCCs exhibited the highest CX efficiency because of its larger surface area and bigger pores inside the cluster structure, and 71.0% of the enclosed Zn(2+) were freed by CX with 2-min microwave irradiation. They also experienced the least space hindrance and the fastest rate when binding to target molecules immobilized on surface. When the 44-nm NCCs were used to detect IgE in a sandwich assay, the limit of detection (LOD) was 5 pg/mL (33 fM), 1,000 times better than that of ELISA. Our results well demonstrate that CX in the ZnS NCCs is superior to the conventional signaling strategies in its high amplification efficiency, robustness, and biocompatibility.