Silver Nanoparticle-Functionalised Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots for the Highly Efficient Determination of Uric Acid

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2022-07, Vol.27 (14), p.4586
• Main Authors: Zhang, Qianchun, Du, Shuxin, Tian, Fengling, Long, Xixi, Xie, Siqi, Tang, Shan, Bao, Linchun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AgNPs/N-CQDs; Carbon; Catalytic oxidation; Cellulose; Chromatography; Composite materials; Fabrication; Fluorescence; fluorescence detection; Fluorescence spectroscopy; Fluorescent indicators; Fourier transforms; Functional groups; Gout; Hydrogen peroxide; Infrared spectroscopy; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; Nitrogen; Optical properties; Photoelectron spectroscopy; Photoelectrons; Quantum dots; Selectivity; serum sample; Silver; Spectrum analysis; Stabilizers (agents); Transmission electron microscopy; Ultraviolet spectroscopy; Uric acid; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy; X-ray diffraction
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules27144586

The fabrication of efficient fluorescent probes that possess an excellent sensitivity and selectivity for uric acid is highly desirable and challenging. In this study, composites of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) wrapped with nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) were synthesised utilising N-CQDs as the reducing and stabilising agents in a single reaction with AgNO3. The morphology and structure, absorption properties, functional groups, and fluorescence properties were characterised by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. In addition, we developed a novel method based on AgNPs/N-CQDs for the detection of uric acid using the enzymatic reaction of uric acid oxidase. The fluorescence enhancement of the AgNPs/N-CQDs composite was linear (R2 = 0.9971) in the range of 2.0–60 μmol/L, and gave a detection limit of 0.53 μmol/L. Trace uric acid was successfully determined in real serum samples from the serum of 10 healthy candidates and 10 gout patients, and the results were consistent with those recorded by Qianxinan Prefecture People’s Hospital. These results indicate that the developed AgNP/N-CQD system can provide a universal platform for detecting the multispecies ratio fluorescence of H2O2 generation in other biological systems.