AgNP-DNA@GQDs Hybrid: New Approach for Sensitive Detection of H2O2 and Glucose via Simultaneous AgNP Etching and DNA Cleavage

A growing body of evidence suggests that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) plays an active role in the regulation of various physiological processes. Development of sensitive probes for H2O2 is an urgent work. In this study, we proposed a DNA-mediated silver nanoparticle and graphene quantum dot hybrid nanocomposite (AgNP-DNA@GQDs) for sensitive fluorescent detection of H2O2. The sensing mechanism is based on the etching effect of H2O2 to AgNPs and the cleavage of DNA by as-generated hydroxyl radicals (OH). The formation of AgNP-DNA@GQDs nanocomposite can result in fluorescence quenching of GQDs by AgNPs through the resonance energy transfer. Upon H2O2 addition, the energy transfer between AgNPs and GQDs mediated by DNA was weakened and obvious fluorescence recovery of GQDs could be observed. It is worth noting that the reaction product OH between H2O2 and AgNPs could cleave the DNA-bridge and result in the disassembly of AgNP-DNA@GQDs to achieve further signal enhancement. With optimal conditions, the approach achieves a low detection limit of 0.10 mu M for H2O2. Moreover, this nanocomposite is further extended to the glucose sensing in human urine combining with glucose oxidase (GOx) for the oxidation of glucose and formation of H2O2. The glucose concentrations in human urine are detected with satisfactory recoveries of 94.6-98.8% which holds potential for ultrasensitive quantitative analysis of glucose and supplies valuable information for diabetes mellitus research and clinical diagnosis.