Photoluminescence detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) binding on diatom frustule biosilica functionalized with an anti-TNT monoclonal antibody fragment

A selective and label-free biosensor for detection of the explosive compound 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in aqueous solution was developed based on the principle of photoluminescence quenching of upon immunocomplex formation with antibody-functionalized diatom frustule biosilica. The diatom frustule is an intricately nanostructured, highly porous biogenic silica material derived from the shells of microscopic algae called diatoms. This material emits strong visible blue photoluminescence (PL) upon UV excitation. PL-active frustule biosilica was isolated from cultured cells of the marine diatom Pinnularia sp. and functionalized with a single chain variable fragment (scFv) derived from an anti-TNT monoclonal antibody. When TNT was bound to the anti-TNT scFv-functionalized diatom frustule biosilica, the PL emission from the biosilica was partially quenched due to the electrophilic nature of the nitro (-NO2) groups on the TNT molecule. The dose-response curve for immunocomplex formation of TNT on the scFv-functionalized diatom frustule biosilica had a half-saturation binding constant of 6.4±2.4·10−8M and statistically-significant measured detection limit of 3.5·10−8M. The binding and detection were selective for TNT and TNB (trinitrobenzene) but not RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) or 2,6-DNT (2,6-dinitrotoluene). •Frustules are nanostructured, high-porous biosilica shells of diatom algae.•Diatom frustules emit blue light (photoluminescence) upon UV excitation.•Diatom frustules were functionalized with an anti-TNT (trinitrotoluene) antibody fragment.•Selective detection based on TNT binding with antibody-functionalized frustule.•Label-free detection based on photoluminescence quenching of bound electrophilic TNT.