Quantum Material-Based Self-Propelled Microrobots for the Optical "On-the-Fly" Monitoring of DNA

journal article in Web of Science

English

Quantum dot-based materials have been found to be excellent platforms for biosensing and bioimaging applications. Herein, self-propelled microrobots made of graphene quantum dots (GQD-MRs) have been synthesized and explored as unconventional dynamic biocarriers toward the optical "on-the-fly" monitoring of DNA. As a first demonstration of applicability, GQD-MRs have been first biofunctionalized with a DNA biomarker (i.e., fluorescein amidite-labeled, FAM-L) via hydrophobic pi-stacking interactions and subsequently exposed toward different concentrations of a DNA target. The biomarker-target hybridization process leads to a biomarker release from the GQD-MR surface, resulting in a linear alteration in the fluorescence intensity of the dynamic biocarrier at the nM range (1-100 nM, R-2 = 0.99), also demonstrating excellent selectivity and sensitivity, with a detection limit as low as 0.05 nM. Consequently, the developed dynamic biocarriers, which combine the appealing features of GQDs (e.g., water solubility, fluorescent activity, and supramolecular pi-stacking interactions) with the autonomous mobility of MRs, present themselves as potential autonomous micromachines to be exploited as highly efficient and sensitive "on-the-fly" biosensing systems. This method is general and can be simply customized by tailoring the biomarker anchored to the GQD-MR's surface.

microrockets; fluorescence; self-propelledmicromotors; DNA biosensor; FRET

JYOTI, J.; MUÑOZ MARTIN, J.; PUMERA, M.

11. 12. 2023

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

WASHINGTON

1944-8252

ACS applied materials & interfaces

15

50

United States of America

58548

58555

8

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.3c09920

http://hdl.handle.net/11012/245192