Enzymatic reaction-based nanopore detection of zinc ions

We report a label-free nanopore sensor for the detection of Zn2+ ions. By taking advantage of the cleavage of a substrate peptide by zinc-dependent enzymes, nanomolar concentrations of Zn2+ ions could be detected within minutes. Furthermore, structurally similar transition metals such as Ni2+, Co2+, Hg2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+ did not interfere with their detection. The enzymatic reaction-based nanopore sensing strategy developed in this work may find potential applications in environmental monitoring and medical diagnosis.