Two dimensional solvothermal synthesis via ultrasound (2D-STSUS) of fluorescent tungsten-doped hBN nanosheets for the selective detection of cancer markers

• Published in: Microchemical journal 2024-05, Vol.200, p.110319, Article 110319
• Main Authors: Dabur, Deepak, Arshad, Muhammad, Piracha, Sanwal, Wu, Hui-Fen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cancer marker; Cysteamine; Fluorescence; Two dimensional nanosheets; Ultrasonication; W doped hBN
• ISSN: 0026-265X; 1095-9149
• DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2024.110319

[Display omitted] •We sought cysteamine for its potential application in treating cystinosis, a genetic disorder marked by lysosomal cystine accumulation.•We have looked into the possibility of molecular doping to activate PL from hBN in the visible red spectrum.•Exploring molecular doping for hBN, we observed blue fluorescence in the visible red spectrum when doping hBN nanosheets with W metal.•The interaction between hBNW and cysteamine, reduces fluorescence, increasing hBNW's sensitivity and specificity for detecting cysteamine. We propose an ultrasensitive and cost-effective novel fluorometric approach for effective detection of cysteamine/cancer marker. The synthesis of the 2D nanomaterial is accomplished via the solvothermal process using the ultrasound system which is termed as the two dimensional solvothermal synthesis of ultrasound (2D-STSUS). 2D Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has emerged as a promising material for sensing applications due to its exceptional properties likebroad bandgap and high thermal stabilitymakes it ideal for application in a wide range of sensors and biosensors. Since hBN cannot effectively absorb or emit light because of broad band gap, it cannot produce fluorescence. On the contrary, using W-doped hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (hBNW), we were able to successfully increase the method's selectivity, sensitivity, and easy usage by fusing the unique properties of W metal with hBN. For the first time, hBNW nanosheets exhibited a clear blue color transition and were effectively employed to detect varied levels of cysteamine in human urine and aqueous samples. When combined with hBNW nanosheets, cysteamine has excellent outcomes among other drugs and neurotransmitters. The linearity value R2 = 0.9991 for aqueous was observed in the range of 1 nM to 28 nM and the detection limit was 0.0936 nM under ideal conditions. Additionally, quantification tests were conducted on human serum and urine samples for real sample analysis, yielding R2 values of 0.9961 and 0.9958, respectively.