Structure-Switching Electrochemical Aptasensor for Single-Step and Specific Detection of Trace Mercury in Dairy Products

A reagentless and single-step electrochemical aptasensor with separation-free fashion and rapid response is developed for the Hg2+ assay in dairy products. Herein, the sensing strategy is established on Hg2+-induced structural transition of the methylene-blue-tagged single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) from a flexible manner to rigid hairpin-shaped double stranded DNA (dsDNA), generating an improved peak current for the Hg2+ assay with a detection limit of 0.62 fM. Importantly, the best signal-to-noise ratio value can be obtained by exploiting Au flowers as sensing material and the optimal ssDNA concentration. The proposed sensor also exhibits high selectivity as a result of the specific thymine Hg2+ thymine (T-Hg2+-T) coordination chemistry and can be applied to detect Hg2+ in dairy products. With the use of the electric signal-on switch, the electrochemical aptasensor has the advantages of simplicity, ease of operation, and high sensitivity and specificity, offering a promising method to assess the safety of dairy products polluted with Hg2+.