Microfluidic synthesis of high-valence programmable atom-like nanoparticles for reliable sensing

Synthesis of programmable atom-like nanoparticles (PANs) with high valences and high yields remains a grand challenge. Here, a novel synthetic strategy of microfluidic galvanic displacement (mu-GD) coupled with microfluidic DNA nanoassembly is advanced for synthesis of single-stranded DNA encoder (SSE)-encoded PANs for reliable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing. Notably, PANs with high valences (e.g., n-valence, n = 12) are synthesized with high yields (e.g., >80%) owing to the effective control of interfacial reactions sequentially occurring in the microfluidic system. On the basis of this, we present the first demonstration of a PAN-based automatic analytical platform, in which sensor construction, sample loading and on-line monitoring are carried out in the microfluidic system, thus guaranteeing reliable quantitative measurement. In the proof-of-concept demonstration, accurate determination of tetracycline (TET) in serum and milk samples with a high recovery close to 100% and a low relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 5.0% is achieved by using this integrated analytical platform.

Automated summary

The synthesis of programmable atom-like nanoparticles (PANs) with high valences and high yields remains a challenge. A novel synthetic strategy using microfluidic galvanic displacement (mu-GD) and microfluidic DNA nanoassembly was developed for the synthesis of single-stranded DNA encoder (SSE)-encoded PANs. This method allows for the effective control of interfacial reactions and has led to the successful synthesis of PANs with high valences (e.g., n-valence, n = 12) and high yields (>80%). The first demonstration of a PAN-based automatic analytical platform was presented, showing reliable quantitative measurement with accurate determination of tetracycline (TET) in serum and milk samples.