Recently, a research paper titled Femtomolar Hydrogen Sulfide Detection via HybridSmall-Molecule Nano-Arrays was published in Nature Communications, a top international comprehensive journal, and Xing Xing is the first author of the paper. Professor zhenda lu of nanjing university is the corresponding author of the paper.
As an important biological signal molecule, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) plays a key role in the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Accurate detection of H2S is essential for the diagnosis and management of related diseases. Currently, H2S detection levels are on the order of micromolar, but being able to detect even lower concentrations of H2S will provide an important window for early disease diagnosis and intervention with great potential. However, to push the boundaries of detection further, more innovative methods are needed.
Microarrays have long been an invaluable tool for fast, high-throughput and ultra-sensitive analysis. The aligned dots on the microarray provide better accuracy and precision for quantitative analysis compared to random dots. And nanoarrays, due to their smaller reaction space and higher arrangement density, offer the possibility of ultra-sensitive detection, rapid analysis and small sample sizes. However, due to the inherent properties of small molecules - they are difficult to manipulate, lack strong bonds to the substrate, and are difficult to detect - precise positioning and integration of small molecules at the nanoscale remains a huge challenge.
In this study, a self-developed improved nano-electrostatic printing technology based on high-pressure AFM probes was used to co-assemble a fluorescent dye and a quencher (F12 + molecule) with specific H2S reactivity into a molecular nano-array. A molecular nano-array sensor capable of detecting H2S in the order of femtomolar has been developed. The detection limit of 1 fM and a wide range of detection can be achieved with this platform, which has good specificity and reliability. This achievement is of great significance not only in the field of H2S detection, but also in other molecular fluorescent probe systems, which is of great significance in promoting the ultra-sensitive signal detection of biological small molecules.