College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, P. R. China.
Anal Chem. 2024 Jul 23;96(29):12147-12154. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c02317. Epub 2024 Jul 12.
Charge transport in molecular junctions provides an excellent way to investigate the response of molecules to intrinsic changes and external stimuli, exhibiting powerful potential for developing sensors. However, achieving multianalyte recognition remains a challenge. Herein, we innovatively developed an electrical array sensor based on peptide self-assembled layers for discriminating various heavy metal ions. Three peptide sequences were designed as sensing units with varying binding affinities for different metal ions. Electrical measurements demonstrated that different metal ions diversely affect the charge transport of peptide junctions. By using principal component analysis, a clear discrimination between the five kinds of heavy metal ions can be achieved. In the analysis of real samples, the array sensor showed a reliable anti-interference capability. The array sensor offers possibilities for large-area molecular junctions to construct functional molecular sensing devices.
分子结中的电荷输运为研究分子对内在变化和外部刺激的响应提供了一种极好的方法，在开发传感器方面显示出强大的潜力。然而，实现多分析物识别仍然是一个挑战。在此，我们创新性地开发了一种基于肽自组装层的电阵列传感器，用于区分各种重金属离子。设计了三个肽序列作为传感单元，它们与不同的金属离子具有不同的结合亲和力。电测量表明，不同的金属离子对肽结的电荷输运有不同的影响。通过使用主成分分析，可以清楚地区分五种重金属离子。在实际样品分析中，该阵列传感器表现出可靠的抗干扰能力。该阵列传感器为大面积分子结构建功能分子传感器件提供了可能。
