In this study, we report a novel and efficient fluorescence probe synthesized by Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane-derived carbon dots (CDs)-modified hexagonal cobalt oxyhydroxide(CoOOH) nanoflakes (Tris-derived CDs-CoOOH) for monitoring of cerebral ascorbic acid (AA) in brain microdialysate. The as-prepared Tris-derived CDs with the fluorescence quantum yield of 7.3% are prepared by a one-step pyrolysis strategy of the sole precursor and used as the signal output. After being hybridized with CoOOH nanoflakes to form Tris-derived CDs-CoOOH, the luminescence of the Tris-derived CDs can be efficiently quenched by CoOOH via fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Due to the specific redox reaction between the enediol group of AA and hexagonal CoOOH nanoflakes, AA can reduce the hexagonal CoOOH nanoflakes in the Tris-derived CDs-CoOOH and lead to collapse of the hybrized structure, then the release of Tris-derived CDs, and thus finally the fluorescence recovery. Moreover, cobalt ions (II), generated by CoOOH nanoflakes oxidizing AA, almost have no obvious interference on the fluorescence probe, i.e., Tris-derived CDs, which could be ascribed to the surface of Tris-derived CDs containing a few strong chelation groups such as amino/carboxyl/thiol groups, instead of plenty of -OH groups with weak chelation with Co(2+). On the basis of this feature, the Tris-derived CDs-CoOOH fluorescent probe demonstrates a linear range from 100 nM to 20 μM with the detection limit of ∼50 nM, i.e., with an improved sensitivity toward AA detection. Compared with other turn-on fluorescent methods using convenient fluorophore-nitroxide fluorescent probes for detection of AA, the method demonstrated here possesses a facial synthesis route, lower limit of detection, and wider linear range, which validates sensing of AA in the cerebral systems during the calm/ischemia process. This study provides a fluorescence assay for the simple yet facial detection of AA in the cerebral systems and assists in the understanding of the biological processes in the physiological and pathological study.
We report on a single-step thermolysis strategy to prepare highly luminescent nitrogen-doped and amino acidfunctionalized graphene quantum dots (NA-GQDs) by using glycine as both carbon and nitrogen source. The NA-GQDs display an excitation wavelength-dependent fluorescence with maximum excitation and emission wavelengths of 380 and 450 nm, respectively, and a quantum yield of~16 %. Fluorescence is quenched by Fe(III) and Hg(II), and the effect was used to develop a method for the determination of Fe(III). Quenching by Fe(III) is attributed to its higher thermodynamic affinity (compared to other transition-metal ions) for the ligands on the GQDs in which nitrogen atoms mainly act as the chelating atoms. A linear relationship was observed between fluorescence intensity and the concentration of Fe(III) over the 0.5 μM to 0.5 mM range. The detection limit is 0.1 μM.
Carbon quantum dots (CDs) combined with self-assembly strategy have created an innovative way to fabricate novel hybrids for biological analysis. This study demonstrates a new fluorescence platform with enhanced selectivity for copper ion sensing in the striatum of the rat brain following the cerebral calm/sepsis process. Here, the fabrication of silica-coated CDs probes is based on the efficient hybridization of APTES which act as a precursor of organosilane self-assembly, with CDs to form silica-coated CDs probes. The fluorescent properties including intensity, fluorescence quantum yield, excitation-independent region, and red/blue shift of the emission wavelength of the probe are tunable through reliable regulation of the ratio of CDs and APTES, realizing selectivity and sensitivity-oriented Cu(2+) sensing. The as-prepared probes (i.e., 3.33% APTES-0.9 mg mL(-1) CDs probe) show a synergistic amplification effect of CDs and APTES on enhancing the fluorescence signal of Cu(2+) detection through fluorescent self-quenching. The underlying mechanism can be ascribed to the stronger interaction including chelation and electrostatic attraction between Cu(2+) and N and O atoms-containing as well as negatively charged silica-coated CDs than other interference. Interestingly, colorimetric assay and Tyndall effect can be observed and applied to directly distinguish the concentration of Cu(2+) by the naked eye. The proposed fluorescent platform here has been successfully applied to monitor the alteration of striatum Cu(2+) in rat brain during the cerebral calm/sepsis process. The versatile properties of the probe provide a new and effective fluorescent platform for the sensing method in vivo sampled from the rat brain.
Blocking reagent is of vital importance for an immunosensor because it ensures the antifouling of the sensing interface and thus selective determination of the target. This Letter investigates a small inactive peptide, oxidized glutathione (GSSG), to replace the commonly used bovine serum albumin (BSA) as blocking reagent for immunosensor fabrication to lower the detection limit of electrochemical immunosensors. The EGF (epidermal growth factor) detection as an example is used here to compare the blocking effects from GSSG and BSA, respectively. The relatively big size of BSA sterically hinders EGF and antibody functionalized silver nanoparticles (Ab-AgNPs) binding. By comparison, GSSG cannot hinder EGF and Ab-AgNPs binding since it is much smaller than EGF, verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results. The established GSSG blocking-based immunosensor for EGF reaches a very low detection limit of 0.01 pM, exhibits wide linearity range between 0.1 pM and 0.1 μM and is more sensitive than the BSA blocking strategy. The proposed GSSG-blocking strategy in the immunoassay paves an attractive platform for other biomolecules to reach a lower detection limit.
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