A scalable electrochromic aptasensing interface as a highly selective Apta-Chip for visual detection of...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Biosensing
• Materials Science

Background:

• Methamphetamine (MAMP) is a highly addictive drug with significant legal implications for its detection in biofluids.
• Accurate and rapid MAMP detection is crucial for diagnosing poisoning and investigating drug-related deaths.
• Existing detection methods can be time-consuming or require specialized equipment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, rapid, and visual method for detecting methamphetamine (MAMP).
• To create an electrochromic aptasensing interface for MAMP measurement.
• To enable naked-eye detection of MAMP in various biological samples.

Main Methods:

• Electrochemical deposition of polyaniline (PANI) film on indium tin oxide (ITO) surfaces.
• Functionalization of the PANI/ITO surface with aptamers (Apt) for MAMP recognition.
• Utilizing the electrochromic properties of PANI for visual MAMP detection.

Main Results:

• An "Apta-Chip" was developed, combining electrochemical and optical detection for MAMP.
• The Apta-Chip exhibited distinct color changes (dark blue, green, dark yellow) corresponding to different MAMP concentrations.
• Successful MAMP detection was demonstrated in human serum, urine, and saliva samples with naked-eye visualization.
• The sensor showed increased circuit resistance upon MAMP presence, altering PANI's oxidation states and color.

Conclusions:

• Molecular dynamics simulations predicted aptamer-MAMP binding visually.
• The methodology was evaluated for its environmental friendliness based on green chemistry principles.
• The Apta-Chip offers a promising, visually-based tool for distinguishing MAMP in clinical and street samples.