We have developed a selective, sensitive, and re-usable electrochemical sensor for Hg²⁺ ion detection. This sensor is based on the Hg²⁺-induced conformational change of a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) which involves an electroactive, ferrocene-labeled DNA hairpin structure and provides strategically the selective binding of a thymine–thymine mismatch for the Hg²⁺ ion. The ferrocene-labeled DNA is self-assembled through S–Au bonding on a polycrystalline gold electrode surface and the surface blocked with 3-mercapto-1-propanol to form a mixed monolayer. The modified electrode showed a voltammetric signal due to a one-step redox reaction of the surface-confined ferrocenyl moiety. The ‘signal-on’ upon mercury binding could be attributed to a change in the conformation of ferrocene-labeled DNA from an open structure to a restricted hairpin structure. The differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) of the modified electrode showed a linear response of the ferrocene oxidation signal with increase of Hg²⁺ concentration in the range between 0.1 and 2 µM with a detection limit of 0.1 µM. The molecular beacon mercury(II) ion sensor was amenable to regeneration by simply unfolding the ferrocene-labeled DNA in 10 µM cysteine, and could be regenerated with no loss in signal gain upon subsequent mercury(II) ion binding.

Here, we introduce the preparation of the hybrid nanocomposite-modified electrode consisting of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using the one-step electrochemical method, allowing for the simultaneous and individual detection of dopamine (DA), ascorbic acid (AA), and uric acid (UA). RGO/AuNPs nanocomposite was formed on a glassy carbon electrode by the co-reduction of GO and Au³⁺ using the potentiodynamic method. The RGO/AuNPs nanocomposite-modified electrode was produced by subjecting a mixed solution of GO and Au³⁺ to cyclic sweeping from −1.5 V to 0.8 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) at a scan rate 10 mV/s for 3 cycles. The modified electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, contact angle measurement, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. Voltammetry results confirm that the RGO/AuNPs nanocomposite-modified electrode has high catalytic activity and good resolution for the detection of DA, AA, and UA. The RGO/AuNPs nanocomposite-modified electrode exhibits stable amperometric responses for DA, AA, and UA, respectively, and its detection limits were estimated to be 0.14, 9.5, and 25 μM. The modified electrode shows high selectivity towards the determination of DA, AA, or UA in the presence of potentially active bioelements. In addition, the resulting sensor exhibits many advantages such as fast amperometric response, excellent operational stability, and appropriate practicality.