Detection of Aflatoxin B(1) Based on a Porous Anodized Aluminum Membrane Combined with Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Spectroscopy

An Aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) biosensor was fabricated via an Ag nanoparticles assembly on the surface of a porous anodized aluminum (PAA) membrane. First, the Raman reporter 4-Aminothiophenol (4-ATP) and DNA (partially complementary to AFB(1) aptamer) were attached to the surface of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) by chemical bonding to form a 4-ATP-AgNPs-DNA complex. Similarly, the surface of a PAA membrane was functionalized with an AFB(1) aptamer. Then, the PAA surface was functionalized with 4-ATP-AgNPs-DNA through base complementary pairing to form AgNPs-PAA sensor with a strong Raman signal. When AFB(1) was added, AgNPs would be detached from the PAA surface because of the specific binding between AFB(1) and the aptamer, resulting in a reduction in Raman signals. The detection limit of the proposed biosensor is 0.009 ng/mL in actual walnut and the linear range is 0.01–10 ng/mL. The sensor has good selectivity and repeatability; it can be applied to the rapid qualitative and quantitative detection of AFB(1).