Label-free and ultrasensitive fluorescence detection of cocaine based on a strategy that utilizes DNA-templated silver nanoclusters and the nicking endonuclease-assisted signal amplification method.

A general and reliable strategy for the detection of cocaine was proposed utilizing DNA-templated silver nanoclusters as signal indicators and the nicking endonuclease-assisted signal amplification method. This strategy can detect cocaine specifically with a detection limit as low as 2 nM by using a small volume of 5 μL.