Determination of nucleic acid based on increased resonance light-scattering of fluorinated surfactants

Two novel surfactants perfluoroalkanesulfonyl quaternary ammonium iodides (FC134) and potassium perfluorooctanesulfonate (FC95) were successfully used as new probes for detection of DNA by resonance light-scattering (RLS) technique. Resonance light-scattering characteristics of the binding of fluorinated surfactants FC134 and FC95 to calf thymus nucleic acid (ctDNA) were studied. After DNA was added, aggregation of FC134 on the molecular surface of DNA in the pH 3.0–6.0 and aggregation of FC95 on the surface of DNA in the pH 3.5–6.0 occurred, both of which resulted in an enhanced resonance light-scattering peak at 370 nm. The intensity of resonance light-scattering was found to be proportional to the concentration of DNA. The determination limits were 3.5 and 20.0 μg L−1, respectively. UV–vis spectra and IR-spectra both proved the binding of fluorinated surfactants to DNA.