Aptamer-Based Biosensing with a Cationic AIEgen*

Fabrication of low-cost biosensing platforms with high selectivity and sensitivity is important for constructing portable devices for personal health monitoring. Herein, we report a simple biosensing strategy based on the combination of a cationic AIEgen (aggregation-induced emission fluorogen), TPE-2+, with an aptamer for specific protein detection. The target protein can displace the dye molecules on the dye–aptamer complex, resulting in changes in the fluorescence signal. Selectivity towards different targets can be achieved by simply changing the aptamer sequence. The working mechanism is also investigated.