Ma-Lin Cui

BSA-protected gold nanoclusters as fluorescent sensor for selective and sensitive detection of pyrophosphate

Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) protected by bovine serum albumin (BSA) can emit red photoluminescence under illumination by ultraviolet light. The luminescence of the BSA–AuNCs was quenched when Cu2+ chelated with glycine in the BSA chain and generated BSA–AuNCs–Cu2+, while the luminescence of the BSA–AuNCs restored when pyrophosphate ion (P2O74−, PPi) was added and chelated with Cu2+, resulting in Cu2+ being removed from the surface of BSA–AuNCs. Bearing this in mind, herein we present a novel BSA–AuNCs–Cu2+ fluorescent sensor for PPi detection. This environmentally-friendly, simple, rapid and selective fluorescent sensor possesses a wide linear range (0.16–78.1 μM) and a high sensitivity (the limit of detection (LD) is 0.083 μM), which could also determine PPi in the effluent of copper plating with the results consistent with those obtained by absorptiometry. Furthermore, the morphologies of BSA–AuNCs, BSA–AuNCs–Cu2+ and BSA–AuNCs–Cu2+-PPi were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The mechanism of the proposed assay for PPi detection has been discussed.

Ultra-sensitive non-aggregation colorimetric sensor for detection of iron based on the signal amplification effect of Fe3+ catalyzing H2O2 oxidize gold nanorods

Fe(3+) can catalyze H2O2 to oxidize along on the longitudinal axis of gold nanorods (AuNRs), which caused the aspect ratio of AuNRs to decrease, longitudinal plasmon absorption band (LPAB) of AuNRs to blueshift (Δλ) and the color of the solution to change obviously. Thus, a rapid response and highly sensitive non-aggregation colorimetric sensor for the determination of Fe(3+) has been developed based on the signal amplification effect of catalyzing H2O2 to oxidize AuNRs. This simple and selective sensor with a wide linear range of 0.20-30.00 μM has been utilized to detect Fe(3+) in blood samples, and the results consisted with those obtained by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Simultaneously, the mechanism of colorimetric sensor for the detection of Fe(3+) was also discussed.

Non-aggregation based label free colorimetric sensor for the detection of Cu2+ based on catalyzing etching of gold nanorods by dissolve oxygen

A label-free non-aggregation colorimetric sensor has been designed for the detection of Cu(2+), based on Cu(2+) catalyzing etching of gold nanorods (AuNRs) along longitudinal axis induced by dissolve oxygen in the presence of S2O3(2-), which caused the aspect ratio (length/width) of AuNRs to decrease and the color of the solution to distinctly change. The linear range and the detection limit (LD, calculated by 10 Sb/k, n=11) of this sensor were 0.080-4.8 µM Cu(2+) and 0.22 µM Cu(2+), respectively. This sensor has been utilized to detect Cu(2+) in tap water and human serum samples with the results agreeing well with those of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS), showing its remarkable practicality. In order to prove the possibility of catalyzing AuNRs non-aggregation colorimetric sensor for the detection of Cu(2+), the morphological structures of AuNRs were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and the sensing mechanism of colorimetric sensor for the detection of Cu(2+) was also discussed.

A specific Tween-80-Rhodamine S-MWNTs phosphorescent reagent for the detection of trace calcitonin

The present study proposed a simple sensitive and specific immunoassay for the quantification of calcitonin (CT) in human serum with water-soluble multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). The COOH group of MWNTs could react with the NH group of rhodamine S (Rhod.S) molecules to form Rhod.S-MWNTs, which could emit room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) on acetate cellulose membrane (ACM) and react with Tween-80 to form micellar compound. Tween-80-Rhod.S-MWNTs (TRM), as a phosphorescent labelling reagent, could dramatically enhance the RTP signal of the system. The developed TRM phosphorescent reagent was used to label anti-calcitonin antibody (Ab(CT)) to form the TRM-Ab(CT) labelling product, which could take high specific immunoreaction with CT, and the ΔI(p) (= I(p2)-I(p1), I(p2) and I(p1) were the phosphorescence intensity of the test solution and the blank sample, respectively) of the system was linear to the content of CT. Hence, a new solid substrate room temperature phosphorescence immunoassay (SSRTPIA) was established for the determination of CT in human serum. This sensitive (limit of quantification (LOQ) was 8.0×10(-14) g mL(-1)), accurate, selective and precise method has been applied to determine CT in human serum and predict primary osteoporosis and fractures, with the results in good agreement with those obtained by chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA). Simultaneously, the structure of MWNTs was characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and infrared spectroscopy (IR), and the reaction mechanisms of both labelling Ab(CT) with TRM and SSRTPIA for the determination of trace CT were discussed.

Ultra-sensitive complex as phosphorescence probe for the determination of trace protein

β-CD-HMTA-L-Tyr complex, formed in the host guest inclusion reaction carried out between host molecule β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) in β-CD-HMTA (HMTA is methenamine) and guest molecule L-tryptophan (L-Tyr), possessing the characteristic of room temperature phosphorescence (RTP). Bovine serum albumin (BSA) reacted with L-Tyr to form a complex of cage structure bringing in the sharply RTP signal quenching of L-Tyr. Based on the above facts, a new ultra-sensitive solid substrate room temperature phosphorimetry (SSRTP) for the determination of trace protein has been established using β-CD-HMTA-L-Tyr complex as a phosphorescence probe. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range of this method was 0.0040-0.56 agspot(-1) with a detection limit (D.L.) as 0.92 zgspot(-1), and the regression equations of working curve was ΔI(p)=0.8239+162.5 m(BSA) (agspot(-1), n=8) with the correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9994. The relatively standard deviation (RSD) and the recovery of SSRTP were 4.8-3.3% and 96.7-102%, respectively, indicating that this method had good repeatability. The proposed phosphorescence probe has been applied in the detection of protein in real samples and the results agreed well with those obtained with SSRTP using methylene blue-sodium tetraphenylborate as phosphorescence probe. Meanwhile, the reaction mechanism for the determination of trace protein with β-CD-HMTA-L-Tyr complex as phosphorescence probe has been discussed.

CdS/TiO2-fluorescein isothiocyanate nanoparticles as fluorescence resonance energy transfer probe for the determination of trace alkaline phosphatase based on affinity adsorption assay.

The CdS/TiO(2)-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) luminescent nanoparticles (CdS/TiO(2)-FITC) with the particle size of 20 nm have been synthesized by sol-gel method. CdS/TiO(2)-FITC could emit the fluorescence of both FITC and CdS/TiO(2). The fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) occurred between the donor CdS/TiO(2) and the acceptor FITC in the CdS/TiO(2)-FITC. Taking advantages of the excellent characteristics of FRET, a new CdS/TiO(2)-FITC FRET labeling reagent and a CdS/TiO(2)-FITC-wheat germ agglutinin (CdS/TiO(2)-FITC-WGA) fluorescent probe have been developed. The FRET occurring between the donor CdS/TiO(2) and the acceptor FITC in the labelled product CdS/TiO(2)-FITC-WGA-AP, formed in the affinity adsorption reaction between the WGA in this CdS/TiO(2)-FITC-WGA fluorescent probe and alkaline phosphatase (AP), sharply enhanced the fluorescence signal of FITC and quench the fluorescence signal of CdS/TiO(2). Moreover, the ΔF (the change of the fluorescence signal) of FITC and CdS/TiO(2) were proportional to the content of AP, respectively. Thus, a new method that CdS/TiO(2)-fluorescein isothiocyanate nanoparticles for the determination of trace AP based on FRET-affinity adsorption assay has been established. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method was 1.3×10(-17) g AP mL(-1) for CdS/TiO(2) and 1.1×10(-17) g AP mL(-1) for FITC, respectively. This sensitive, rapid, high selective and precise method has been applied to the determination of AP in human serum and the prediction of human disease with the results agreed well with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in Zhangzhou Municipal Hospital of Fujian Province. Simultaneously, the reaction mechanism for the determination of AP was also discussed.

Coupling technique of self-ordered ring and phosphorimetry for the determination of alkaline phosphatase and diseases prediction.

Rhodamine S could emit strong and stable room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) on polyamide membrane (PAM) in the presence of heavy atom perturber Pb(2+). When Rhodamine S-piperidine solution was dropped on PAM, the red (Rhod.S)(n)-P-SOR (Rhod.S, (Rhod.S)(n), P and SOR refer to alizarin red S, multiple Rhod.S molecules, piperidine and self-ordered ring, respectively) formed on PAM, leading to the enhancement of room temperature phosphorimetry (RTP) intensity (I(p), 117.2) of (Rhod.S)(n)-P-SOR system, which was 2.4 times higher than that without SOR (I(p), 48.1). Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) was labelled with (Rhod.S)(n)-P-SOR by the -NH- of Rhod.S reacting with the -COOH of WGA to form WGA-(Rhod.S)(n)-P-SOR. The formation of WGA-AP-WGA-(Rhod.S)(n)-P-SOR in the affinity adsorption (AA) reaction carried out between the -COOH of WGA in WGA-(Rhod.S)(n)-P-SOR and the -NH(2) of alkaline phosphatase (AP) caused the RTP intensity (ΔI(p)) of the WGA-AP-WGA-(Rhod.S)(n)-P-SOR system 7.8 times larger than that without (Rhod.S)(n)-P-SOR. Therefore, the coupling technique of SOR and solid substrate-room temperature phosphorimetry (SS-RTP) for the determination of trace AP has been established. This method possessed good selectivity, high sensitivity (Detection limit (L.D) was 3.4×10(-16)gmL(-1)) and accuracy, and it has been applied to the determination of trace AP in human serum and the forecast of human diseases, and the results agreed well with those obtained by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). Besides, the mechanism of the coupling technique for the determination of AP was discussed.

A Novel Solid Substrate Room Temperature Phosphorimetry for the Determination of Trace Cytochrome C and Forecast of Human Diseases

The reaction between fullerenol (F-ol) and cytochrome C (Cyt C) could be carried out to form a nonphosphorescence compound using tween-80 as photosensitizer which causes the sharp quenching of room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) of F-ol. Bearing this in mind, a novel solid substrate room temperature phosphorimetry (SSRTP) for the determination of trace Cyt C has been proposed in this study. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range of this method is –  , which is directly proportional to of Cyt C-F-ol–tween-80 system, and the detection limit (DL) is  . It has been applied to the determination of Cyt C in human serum and forecast of diseases, and the result matches with the enzyme-linked fluorescence immunoassay (ELISA). Meanwhile, the reaction mechanism of SSRTP for the determination of Cyt C and the enhancing effect of tween-80 on RTP of F-ol were also discussed.