Gold nanoclusters/graphene quantum dots complex-based dual-emitting ratiometric fluorescence probe for the determination of glucose

• Published in: Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis 2020-09, Vol.189, p.113480-113480, Article 113480
• Main Authors: Hong, Guo-Lin, Deng, Hao-Hua, Zhao, Hai-Ling, Zou, Zhi-Yan, Huang, Kai-Yuan, Peng, Hua-Ping, Liu, Yin-Huan, Chen, Wei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Glucose; Gold nanoclusters; Graphene quantum dots; Hydrogen peroxide; Ratiometric fluorescence
• ISSN: 0731-7085; 1873-264X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2020.113480

•Single-excitation/double-emission ratiometric fluorescence nanosensor.•Fe3+-sensitive orange-fluorescent gold nanoclusters as the indicator probe.•Fe3+-inert blue-fluorescent graphene quantum dots as the reference probe.•The nanosensor was successfully used to detect glucose in human serum.•A low detection limit of 180 nM. Herein, we report the design of a single-excitation/double-emission ratiometric fluorescence nanosensor for the determination of glucose. The sensing system combines glucose oxidation catalyzed by glucose oxidase, Fenton chemistry, Fe3+-sensitive fluorescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs), and Fe3+-inert fluorescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs). We used orange-fluorescent AuNCs co-modified with bovine serum albumin and 3-mercaptopropionic acid as the indicator probe, and GQDs with the same excitation wavelength as the BSA/MPA-AuNCs, but with different emission wavelength, as the reference probe. The fluorescence intensity-ratio between 420 nm and 575 nm (F420/F575) was used to quantitatively determine glucose with a low detection limit of 0.18 μM, and the nanosensor was successfully used to detect glucose in human serum. This ratiometric fluorescence sensing system, based on AuNCs and GQDs, ensures sensitive and convenient determination of glucose, and has broad application prospects for biomedical-analysis applications.