A Molybdenum Disulfide Additive for the Simple and Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of DNA

Abstract

A simple but sensitive system for the detection of DNA using molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as an additive to the DNA solution is reported. According to the described method, the target DNA can be identified by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) because single- and double-stranded DNA molecules have different affinities to both the electrochemical indicator used (methylene blue) and MoS2. The MoS2 additive does not require any functionalization to achieve adequate sinking speed, contrary to graphene- and carbon nanotube-based additives. The easy fabrication of the sensitive DNA sensor developed in this study is achieved by simply adding the MoS2 additive into the DNA sample solutions, and does not require any sophisticated processes, such as probe immobilization and chemical modification. The results described in this study pave the way for utilizing semiconducting or insulating two-dimensional materials as additives for simple electrochemical DNA sensors with a great potential for commercial mass production.