Electrochemical/fluorescent dual-mode aptasensor based on 3D porous AuNPs/MXene for detection of ultra-trace mercury (Hg²⁺)

In this work, the dual-mode aptasensor based on 3D porous AuNPs/MXene using “turn-on” electrochemical method and “turn-off” fluorescent strategy was fabricated. Here, 2D MXene was processed into 3D porous MXene by sacrificial polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) spherical template. And the meteor hammer-like AuNPs which had good electrochemical properties and quenching effect on fluorescence was synthesized by single electrodeposition. Dual-signal labeled Nile Blue (NB) was in situ grafted to the Hg²⁺ aptamer ends of 3D porous AuNPs/MXene/GCE, and an efficient and sensitive signal interface was constructed to realize the sensitive detection of Hg²⁺. 3D porous AuNPs/MXene had the advantages of large specific surface area, excellent electron transmission performance and signal amplification. The experimental results indicated that this sensor exhibited high sensitivity to Hg²⁺ in both electrochemical and fluorescent sensing, with detection limits of 2.69 fM and 1.60 fM, respectively. Further, the dual-mode aptasensor can ensure the detection accuracy and target quantization. The dual-mode aptasensor has been successfully applied to the ultra-trace detection of Hg²⁺ in actual water samples, which shows the potential of aptamer sensor in detecting heavy metal ions in environmental monitoring.