Issue 44, 2021

Graphene quantum dots as nanosensor for rapid and label-free dual detection of Cu2+ and tiopronin by means of fluorescence “on–off–on” switching: mechanism and molecular logic gate

Abstract

A simple graphene quantum dots (GQDs)-based fluorescence sensing strategy with high selectivity and rapidity was developed for the dual detection of copper ion (Cu2+) and tiopronin (N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)glycine, MPG), therein GQDs were synthesized using citric acid (CA) via an one-step method. This GQDs fluorescence probe has good water solubility and can coordinate with Cu2+. It is found that the fluorescence of this sensor is quenched linearly with increasing concentration of Cu2+ from 0.01 to 0.5 μM. Since Cu2+ and MPG have a stronger coordination ability than that of Cu2+ and GQDs, the coordination of Cu2+ with MPG is preferentially triggered and results in the fluorescence of the system being enhanced again. Namely, in the presence of MPG, the fluorescence of the GQDs that had been quenched was found to be efficiently recovered. In this study, a molecular logic gate probe is proposed as a fluorescence response to Cu2+ and MPG. In this way, a novel fluorescence ‘‘turn-on’’ detection of MPG in the range from 0.01 to 0.4 μM is developed using this GQDs probe. Therefore, the designed probe is expected to become an efficient and reliable sensing platform to monitor Cu2+ and MPG in environmental and clinical applications.

Graphical abstract: Graphene quantum dots as nanosensor for rapid and label-free dual detection of Cu2+ and tiopronin by means of fluorescence “on–off–on” switching: mechanism and molecular logic gate

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Apr. 2021
Accepted
16 Jūl. 2021
First published
26 Okt. 2021

New J. Chem., 2021,45, 20649-20659

Graphene quantum dots as nanosensor for rapid and label-free dual detection of Cu2+ and tiopronin by means of fluorescence “on–off–on” switching: mechanism and molecular logic gate

J. Yao and L. Wang, New J. Chem., 2021, 45, 20649 DOI: 10.1039/D1NJ01908B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements