Near-infrared light excited UCNP-DNAzyme nanosensor for selective detection of Pb2+ and in vivo imaging

Abstract Due to similar charges, atomic radii, and chemical properties of most metal ions, the selective sensing of these metal ions and imaging in vivo is still a challenge. A DNAzyme assemblied and near-infrared (NIR) light excited nanosensor was developed to detect and image Pb2+. In this nanosensor, NaYF4:Yb, Er upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) introduced as NIR-to-Vis transducer were the donor of luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET), and DNAzyme-functionalized black hole quencher 1 (BHQ1) acted as energy transfer acceptor. This proposed nanosensor was applied to detecting Pb2+ in solution with high sensitivity and selectivity. Furthermore, we have successfully demonstrated the imaging ability of this nanosensor towords Pb2+ in living cells and early-stage zebrafish with negligible autofluorescence and good photostability. The UCNP-DNAzyme nanosensor would enrich the method of imaging Pb2+ in vivo, and might serve as a potential tool for understanding the metabolic pathways of Pb2+ and the mechanism of lead poisoning in biological system.