Highly Stable and Integrable Graphene/Molybdenum Disulfide Heterojunction Field-Effect Transistor-Based miRNA
Chen Wang1,2, Ziqian Wang1,3, Ming Gao2
1State Key Laboratory of Radio Frequency Heterogeneous Integration, International Collaborative Laboratory of 2D Materials for Optoelectronics Science and Technology, Institute for Advanced Study in Nuclear Energy and Safety, Interdisciplinary Center of High Magnetic Field Physics of Shenzhen University, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen518060, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|May 2, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a novel graphene-molybdenum disulfide (G/MoS2) heterojunction field-effect transistor (FET) biosensor for rapid and sensitive microRNA (miRNA) detection. The G/MoS2 FET biosensor achieves low limits of detection without external gate voltage, enabling potential early disease diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Biomolecular engineering
- Nanomaterials science
- Biosensor technology
Background:
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial in gene regulation and cancer development, necessitating sensitive detection methods for clinical diagnosis.
- Field-effect transistors (FETs) using 2D materials offer label-free, rapid, and sensitive miRNA detection but often require external gate voltage, limiting device integration and stability.
- Current biosensing platforms face challenges in miniaturization, signal stability, and ease of use for clinical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a graphene-molybdenum disulfide (G/MoS2) heterojunction FET biosensing platform for label-free miRNA detection.
- To eliminate the need for external gate voltage in solution for 2D material-based FET biosensors.
- To achieve rapid, highly sensitive, and selective detection of specific cancer-associated miRNAs.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a G/MoS2 heterojunction field-effect transistor (FET) biosensor.
- Utilizing the G/MoS2 FET platform for the direct detection of target microRNAs (miRNA-21 and miRNA-155).
- Evaluating sensor performance including detection time, linear response range, limit of detection (LOD), and selectivity through comparative experiments.
Main Results:
- The G/MoS2 FET biosensor demonstrated a rapid detection time of approximately 30 minutes.
- Achieved highly sensitive detection with limits of detection (LOD) as low as 6.06 fM for miRNA-21 and 2.59 fM for miRNA-155.
- Exhibited excellent selectivity, successfully distinguishing target miRNAs from non-target sequences, and a wide linear response range (10 fM to 10 nM).
Conclusions:
- The developed G/MoS2 FET biosensor provides a promising platform for label-free, gate-voltage-free miRNA detection.
- This technology offers significant potential for early disease diagnosis and biomarker screening due to its high sensitivity, selectivity, and rapid detection capabilities.
- The G/MoS2 FET biosensor addresses key limitations of existing 2D material FET biosensors, paving the way for integrated and miniaturized diagnostic devices.
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