Successive and Specific Detection of Hg2+ and I- by a DNA@MOF Biosensor: Experimental and Simulation Studies

A 2D metal-organic framework (MOF) of {[Cu(Dcbb)(Bpe)]center dot Cl}(n) (1, H(2)DcbbBr = 1-(3,5-dicarboxybenzyl)-4,4'-bipyridinium bromide, Bpe = trans-1,2-bis(4pyridyl)ethylene)) has been prepared. MOF 1 associates with the thymine-rich (T-rich), single-stranded probe DNA (ss-DNA, denoted as P-DNA) labeled with fluorophore FAM (FAM = carboxyfluorescein) and quenches the FAM emission to give a nonemissive P-DNAp1 hybrid (off state). The P-DNA in the hybrid subsequently captures the Hg2+ to give a rigid double-stranded DNA featuring T-Hg2+-T motif (ds-DNA@Hg2+) and detach from MOF 1, triggering the recovery of the FAM fluorescence (on state). Upon subsequent addition of I-, Hg2+ was further sequestrated from the ds-DNA@He2+ duplex, driven by the stronger Hg-I coordination. The released P-DNA is resorbed by MOF 1 to regain the initial P-DNAp1 hybrid (off state). The P-DNA@1 sensor thus detects Hg2+ and I- sequentially via a fluorescence off-on-off mechanism. The sensor is highly selective and sensitive, yielding detection limits of 3.2 and 3.3 nM, respectively. The detection process was conformed by circular dichroism (CD) and the detection mechanism was verified by fluorescence anisotropy, binding constant, and simulation of the binding free energy at each stage.