DNAzyme-based fluorescent microarray for highly selective and sensitive detection of lead( ii )

A facile microarray-based fluorescent sensor for the detection of lead (II) was developed based on the catalytic cleavages of the substrates by a DNAzyme upon its binding to Pb(2+). The release of the fluorophore labelled substrates resulted in the decrease of fluorescence intensity. The sensor had a quantifiable detection range from 1 nM to 1 μM and a selectivity of >20 fold for Pb(2+) over other metal ions.