Electrochemical aptasensor based on a potassium ion-triggered DNA conformation transition and self-assembly on an electrode

Abstract

Herein, a novel electrochemical biosensor for the sensitive and selective detection of potassium ions (K⁺) was developed. An aptamer sequence against K⁺ was integrated into a DNA probe for specific recognition, which initiates a DNA conformation transition and activates a thiol group for the effective self-assembly of the DNA probe on a gold electrode surface. By analyzing the electrochemical signals labelled on the DNA probe, the K⁺ level can be facilely determined. The proposed electrochemical aptasensor is based on a simple sensing principle and straightforward operation. Moreover, excellent analytical performances were achieved owing to the ingenious design, which may inspire the development of additional electrochemical biosensors.