Fluorescent aptamers modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles for quantitative detection of acetamiprid

Abstract Acetamiprid (ACE) is widely used to control aphids, brown planthoppers and other agricultural pests. However, its difficulty in degrading in the environment leads to pesticide residue contamination, acute and chronic toxicity to humans and their non-target organisms. Therefore, the development of a fast, convenient and highly sensitive method to quantify ACE is essential. In this paper, a simple and sensitive fluorescence analysis method for the rapid detection of ACE was constructed by preparing aminated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs-NH 2 ) by one-pot method and adsorbing a 6-Carboxyfluorescein modified aptamer of ACE (FAM-Apt) on its surface by electrostatic interaction. In the absence of ACE, the negatively charged FAM-Apt binds electrostatically to the positively charged MSNs-NH 2 , due to gravity MSNs-NH 2 @FAM-Apt is centrifuged to form a precipitate and no fluorescent signal is detected in the supernatant. Conversely, the specific combining of FAM-Apt to insecticides was greater than the electrostatic interaction with MSNs-NH 2 , FAM-Apt was separated from MSNs-NH 2 and a high fluorescence signal was obtained in the supernatant. For ACE detection, the linear range was 50-1100 ng/mL, and calculated the detection limit (LOD) of ACE was 30.26 ng/mL. The method performs well in practical sample analysis applications with good sensitivity, selectivity and reproducibility, providing a reference for rapid and low-cost detection of ACE.