Fe-nitrilotriacetic acid coordination polymer nanowires: an effective sensing platform for fluorescence-enhanced nucleic acid detection

The determination of specific nucleic acid sequences is key in identifying disease-causing pathogens and genetic diseases. In this paper we report the utilization of Fe-nitrilotriacetic acid coordination polymer nanowires as an effective nanoquencher for fluorescence-enhanced nucleic acid detection. The detection is fast and the whole process can be completed within 15 min. This nanosensor shows a low detection limit of 0.2 nM with selectivity down to single-base mismatch. This work provides us with an attractive sensing platform for applications.