Label-free photoelectrochemical strategy for hairpin DNA hybridization detection on titanium dioxide electrode

A new photoelectrochemical strategy for hairpin DNA hybridization was devised, in which TiO2 served as the anchor and signal transducer, and no label or redox couples were required. Once the hybridization between hairpin DNA probe and target DNA occurred, the photocurrent would decrease, utilizing which the sequence of the target DNA could be identified. The sequence specificity experiment showed that one or more mismatches of DNA bases could be discriminated. This photoelectrochemical method would be a potential tool in DNA hybridization detection due to its great advantages: label-free, high sensitivity, specific recognition, low cost, and easy fabrication.