Selection of Highly Specific DNA Aptamer for the Development of QCM-Based Arsenic Sensor

Heavy metal arsenic is a water pollutant that affects millions of lives worldwide. A novel aptamer candidate for specific and sensitive arsenic detection was identified using Graphene Oxide-SELEX (GO-SELEX). Eleven rounds of GO-SELEX were performed to screen As(III) specific sequences. The selected aptamer sequences were evaluated for their binding affinity. The dissociation constant of the best aptamer candidate, As-06 was estimated by fluorescence recovery upon target addition, and it was found to be 8.15 nM. A QCM-based biosensing platform was designed based on the target-triggered release of aptamer from the QCM electrode. An rGO-SWCNT nanocomposite was adsorbed on the gold surface, and the single-stranded probe was stacked on the rGO-CNT layer. Upon addition of the target to the solution, a concentration-dependent release of the ssDNA probe was observed and recorded as the change in the electrode frequency. The developed QCM sensor showed a dynamic linear range from 10 nM to 100 nM and a low detection limit of 8.6 nM. The sensor exhibited excellent selectivity when challenged with common interfering anions and cations.