Highly sensitive surface acoustic wave biosensor for the detection of Hg2+ based on the thymine-Hg2+-thymine structure

The detection of mercury ions (Hg2+) with an ultralow concentration is of great significance for the treatment of heavy metal pollution in industrial waste water and the monitoring of drinking water quality. In this study, a simple, sensitive, and portable surface acoustic wave (SAW) biosensor for the determination of Hg2+ concentration was developed. First, a DNA fragment with a specific binding capacity for Hg2+ was chemically adsorbed on to the sensitive region through forming Au-S bonds with the SAW biosensor. The DNA probe could then form a thymine-Hg2+-thymine (T-Hg2+-T) complex with strong affinity for Hg2+ after immersion in a test solution containing Hg2+, resulting in a significant change in the response frequency of the device. The linear detection range of the device was 10 pM to 1 nM, while the limit of detection (LOD) was as low as 6.3 pM. Furthermore, the SAW biosensor exhibited excellent selectivity to Hg2+ compared with that of interfering ions, e.g., Ag+, Ba2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Fe3+, Ca2+, and Na+. The results provide a new strategy for the preparation of portable devices that can monitor toxic heavy metal ions with high sensitivity and selectivity.