Biointerface-Engineered DNA-Inspired Gold Nanoparticles for Colorimetric
Biosensing of Heavy Metals
Abstract
The contamination of heavy metals (e.g., Hg, Pb, Cd and As) poses great
risks to environment and human health. Rapid and simple detection of
heavy metals of considerable toxicity in low concentration levels is an
important task in biological and environmental analysis. Among the many
convenient detection methods for heavy metals, DNA-inspired gold
nanoparticles (AuNPs) (DNA-AuNPs) have been becoming a well-established
approach, in which assembly/disassembly of AuNPs serves for colorimetric
signaling of the recognition event between DNA and target heavy metals
at the AuNP interface. This review focuses on the recent efforts of
employing DNA to manipulate the interfacial properties of AuNPs, and
summarizes the recent advances in the colorimetric detection of heavy
metals. Beginning with the introduction of the fundamental aspects of
DNA and AuNPs, three main strategies of constructing DNA-AuNPs with DNA
binding-responsive interface are discussed, namely, crosslinking,
electrostatics, and base pair stacking. Then, recent achievements in
colorimetric biosensing of heavy metals based on the interfacial
manipulation of DNA-AuNPs are surveyed and compared. Finally,
conclusions and perspectives on the futuristic directions in the field
are provided, including the evaluation of the pros and cons of the three
strategies, with an expectation of providing a reference for researchers
who works in the related field. It is also suggested that manipulation
of the interface of DNA-AuNPs represent enormous potential in the
pursuit of colorimetric biosensors for a range of analytes of interest.