Adsorption Kinetics of Single-Stranded DNA on Functional Silica Surfaces and Its Influence Factors: An Evanescent-Wave Biosensor Study

Thorough understandings on the real-time kinetics involved in DNA adsorption on a solid surface is essential in various fields, such as in DNA hybridization studies, DNA extraction and purification, DNA-based biosensing, and gene-based medicine discovery. Herein, the real-time properties of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) adsorption onto functional silica surfaces under various conditions were investigated using an evanescent wave optical biosensing platform. Results demonstrated that the driving force and adsorption mechanism of DNA were closely related to the kind of functional groups on the silica surfaces. The main driving forces of DNA adsorption onto hydroxyl- and protein-modified solid surfaces were the hydrophobic interaction, hydrogen bonding, and the interaction between DNA phosphate and functional groups on the silica surface, which strengthened with increased ionic strength. However, the electrostatic attraction between the negative charge of DNA and positive charge of the amino silica surface was likely the most important factor influencing DNA adsorption onto the amino surface. This influence can be reduced by increasing the ionic strength. Although low-ionic-strength Mg²⁺ provided a greater adsorption efficiency than high-ionic-strength Na⁺, the balance of ssDNA adsorption onto hydroxyl- and ovalbumin (OVA)-modified silica surfaces was achieved faster in the presence of Na⁺ than in the presence of Mg²⁺. DNA adsorption was also influenced significantly by pH, and the hydroxyl- and OVA-modified surfaces exhibited the strongest adsorption at pH 3.0, whereas DNA adsorption onto the amino surface increased with increased pH. DNA adsorption onto various functional surfaces could be perfectly fitted by second-order Langmuir models, indicating that the process was a single-molecular-layer adsorption