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Updated: May 9, 2026
A Method for Selecting Structure-switching Aptamers Applied to a Colorimetric Gold Nanoparticle Assay
Published on: February 28, 2015
A chronocoulometric aptasensor based on gold nanoparticles as a signal amplification strategy for detection of
Xiao Xia Jiao1, Jing Rong Chen, Xi Yuan Zhang
1Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Abstract:
A sensitive chronocoulometric aptasensor for the detection of thrombin has been developed based on gold nanoparticle amplification. The functional gold nanoparticles, loaded with link DNA (LDNA) and report DNA (RDNA), were immobilized on an electrode by thrombin aptamers performing as a recognition element and capture probe. LDNA was complementary to the thrombin aptamers and RDNA was noncomplementary, but could combine with [Ru(NH₃)₆]³⁺ (RuHex) cations. Electrochemical signals obtained by RuHex that bound quantitatively to the negatively charged phosphate backbone of DNA via electrostatic interactions were measured by chronocoulometry. In the presence of thrombin, the combination of thrombin and thrombin aptamers and the release of the functional gold nanoparticles could induce a significant decrease in chronocoulometric signal. The incorporation of gold nanoparticles in the chronocoulometric aptasensor significantly enhanced the sensitivity. The performance of the aptasensor was further increased by the optimization of the surface density of aptamers. Under optimum conditions, the chronocoulometric aptasensor exhibited a wide linear response range of 0.1-18.5 nM with a detection limit of 30 pM. The results demonstrated that this nanoparticle-based amplification strategy offers a simple and effective approach to detect thrombin.
