Multi-walled carbon nanotubes as an effective fluorescent sensing platform for nucleic acid detection

In this article, we report on the use of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as an effective fluorescent sensing platform for nucleic acid detection with selectivity down to single-base mismatch. The detection is accomplished with two steps: (1) MWCNTs adsorb and quench the fluorescence of the dye-labeled single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probe; (2) in the presence of the target, a hybridization event occurs, which produces a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) that detaches from the MWCNT surface, leading to the restoration of the dye fluorescence. We also compared the sensing responses of MWCNTs and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) under the same experimental conditions.