Electrochemical determination of hantavirus using gold nanoparticle-modified graphene as an electrode material and Cu-based metal-organic framework assisted signal generation

An electrochemical biosensor was prepared for nucleic acid-based hantavirus detection using a Cu-based metal-organic framework (CuMOF) as a signal tag. The CuMOF was synthesized by the solvothermal method and then covalently bonded with signal DNA (sDNA) probes. The Au nanoparticles and reduced graphene oxide composite were deposited on the electrode surface by electroreduction as support substrate and was then functionalized with capture DNA (cDNA) probes by self-assembly. Through the complementary base pairing, the target DNA (tDNA) fragment of hantavirus hybridized with the cDNA and the sDNA in a sandwich-type format. The tDNA was detected according to the current signal of the CuMOF catalyzed reaction using o -phenylenediamine as redox substrate. The peak current of the biosensor at − 0.55 V increased linearly in proportion to the logarithmic value of the tDNA concentration from 10 −15 to 10 −9 mol/L, with a detection limit of 0.74 × 10 −15 mol/L. Moreover, the proposed biosensor was successfully applied to detect hantavirus and was able to distinguish hantavirus from other arboviruses. Graphical abstract