A sensitive DNA biosensor based on a facile sulfamide coupling reaction for capture probe immobilization

A novel DNA biosensor was fabricated through a facile sulfamide coupling reaction. First, the versatile sulfonic dye molecule of 1-amino-2-naphthol-4-sulfonate (AN-SO₃⁻) was electrodeposited on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to form a steady and ordered AN-SO₃⁻ layer. Then the amino-terminated capture probe was covalently grafted to the surface of SO₃⁻-AN deposited GCE through the sulfamide coupling reaction between the amino groups in the probe DNA and the sulfonic groups in the AN-SO₃⁻. The step-by-step modification process was characterized by electrochemistry and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Using Ru(NH₃)₆³⁺ as probe, the probe density and the hybridization efficiency of the biosensor were determined to be 3.18 × 10¹³ strands cm⁻² and 86.5%, respectively. The hybridization performance of the biosensor was examined by differential pulse voltammetry using Co(phen)₃^3+/2+ (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) as the indicator. The selectivity experiments showed that the biosensor presented distinguishable response after hybridization with the three-base mismatched, non-complementary and complementary sequences. Under the optimal conditions, the oxidation peak currents of Co(phen)₃^3+/2+ increased linearly with the logarithm values of the concentration of the complementary sequences in the range from 1.0 × 10⁻¹³ M to 1.0 × 10⁻⁸ M with a regression coefficient of 0.9961. The detection limit was estimated to be 7.2 × 10⁻¹⁴ M based on 3σ.