Electrochemiluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer System Based on Silver Metal–Organic Frameworks as a Double-Amplified Emitter for Sensitive Detection of miRNA-107

As a class of electrochemiluminescence (ECL) enhancers, silver-based materials have broad application prospects. In this work, a novel silver metal-organic framework (AgMOF) was developed as a self-enhanced ECL emitter by one-step mixing and standing at room temperature. The AgMOF could produce strong and stable ECL emissions based on a double-amplification method, which originated from the aggregation-induced ECL emission of ligands and catalyzing S2O82- to produce more SO4•- by silver. Moreover, an ECL resonance energy transfer (ECL-RET) biosensor with AgMOF as a donor and BHQ2 as an acceptor was fabricated by duplex-specific nuclease (DSN)-assisted target recycling amplification to detect miRNA-107. The biosensor exhibited a strong ECL-RET effect due to the higher ECL emission of the AgMOF and perfect match of spectra between the AgMOF and BHQ2. Upon the introduction of DSN and target miRNAs, the specific DNA-RNA binding and nuclease cleaving could trigger the detachment of BHQ2, resulting in an increased ECL signal of AgMOF. Benefiting from the ECL-RET and DSN-assisted target recycling amplification methods, this biosensor achieved a wide linear relationship range from 20 to 120 fM with a low limit of detection (4.33 fM). This research presents an effective emitter for self-enhanced ECL systems, which broadens the potential ECL applications of silver-based nanomaterials.