Ultrasensitive and Portable Assay for Lead(II) Ions by Electronic Balance as a Readout.

Lead ions (Pb2+) cause harm to human health. Therefore, the development of fast, effective, and convenient sensors for Pb2+ monitoring has received great attention. In this study, a portable method has been proposed for Pb2+ detection using normal electronic balance as a readout. Magnetic bead-catalytic strand is hybridized with platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) functioned substrate strand (Pt-Sub) to form double-stranded DNA first. In the presence of Pb2+, the DNAzyme is activated and cleaved at the ribo-adenosine site of the substrate strand and hence causes Pt NPs to be released into the supernatant, which can be easily separated from the Pt-Sub by a magnet. The separated Pt NPs can effectively catalyze the decomposition of H2O2 to produce O2. In a sealed bottle, the pressure inside the bottle is increased by the generation of oxygen so that the water is discharged from the drainage device, and the weight of the water can be easily and precisely measured by a normal electronic balance. The weighting water has a linear relationship with the concentration of Pb2+ in the range of 2.5-100 nM and the detection limit of 0.83 nM (S/N = 3). The proposed method has been applied to detect Pb2+ in water with satisfactory results. Because the electronic balance is one of the most commonly used analytical tools for the laboratory, it is very practical and convenient without the need for expensive instruments and complicated data processing.