Detection of mismatched duplexes by synchronizing the pulse potential frequency with the dynamics of ferrocene/isoquinoline conjugate-connected DNA probes immobilized onto electrodes.

Cyclic voltammetry was performed at various scan rates for the duplexes from ferrocene/isoquinoline conjugate-connected DNA probes on gold electrodes. The relationship between the observed currents and the scan rates disclosed the enhanced bending elasticity of the mismatched duplexes compared with the fully matched duplexes. The difference of the dynamics was easily detected through the currents from the conjugate by adjusting the pulse potential frequency in square-wave voltammetry. By using the present strategy, we succeeded in accurately detecting various naturally occurring single-nucleotide polymorphisms.