A fluorometric biosensor based on H2O2-sensitive nanoclusters for the detection of acetylcholine

Biphasic interface templated synthesis of wrinkled MOFs for the construction of cascade sensing platform based on the encapsulated gold nanoclusters and enzymes

The design and construction of MOFs with flower-like structure could afford sufficient space for the immobilization of guests with large size and interconnected transport channels for their mass diffusion although it remains a challenge. Herein, wrinkled Ce-based hierarchically porous UiO-66 (Ce-WUiO-66) with good crystallinity was successfully synthesized for the first time using bicontinuous emulsion composed of 1-heptanol, water and F127 (PEO106PPO70PEO106) surfactant as a template. F127 played a key role in the formation of emulsions as a stabilizer, and meanwhile its PEO segments interacted with MOF precursors to guide the evolvement of crystallized pore walls. Through controlling the ratios of heptanol to water and the salinity, the distances of the pleat openings and the morphology of the resultant Ce-WUiO-66 were facilely regulated. In virtue of its highly open radial structure, Ce-WUiO-66 could serve as an ideal platform for loading multiple substances to build a cascade sensing system. As a proof of concept, we designed an amino acid (AA) cascade probe by co-immobilizing gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) and LAA oxidase into Ce-WUiO-66. The aggregation-induced-emission enhancement resulted from the encapsulation of AuNCs into Ce-WUiO-66 significantly improved the detection sensitivity and the detection limit of corresponding substrates reached as low as 10-8 M. The proposed biphasic interface assembly strategy is hopefully to provide a new route for the rational design of MOFs with various open pore structure and broaden their potential applications with multiple large-size substances involved besides the currently exemplified cascade sensing platform.

Gold nanoclusters-based fluorescence resonance energy transfer for rapid and sensitive detection of Pb2

Lead pollution has remained a significant global concern for several decades due to its detrimental effects on the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system across all age groups. Addressing the demand for detecting trace amounts of lead in food samples, we have developed a novel biosensor based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from fluorescein R6G to gold nanoclusters (AuNCs-CCY). By utilizing polypeptides as a template, we successfully synthesized AuNCs-CCY with an excitation spectrum that overlaps with the emission spectrum of R6G. Exploiting the fact that Pb2+ induces the aggregation of gold nanoclusters, leading to the separation of R6G from AuNCs-CCY and subsequent fluorescence recovery, we achieved the quantitative detection of Pb2+. Within the concentration range of 0.002-0.20 μM, a linear relationship was observed between the fluorescence enhancement value (F-F0) and Pb2+ concentration, characterized by the linear equation y = 2398.69x + 87.87 (R2 = 0.996). The limit of detection (LOD) for Pb2+ was determined to be 0.00079 μM (3σ/K). The recovery rate ranged from 96 % to 104 %, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) below 10 %. These findings demonstrate the potential application value of our biosensor, which offers a promising approach to address the urgent need for sensitive detection of heavy metal ions, specifically Pb2+, in food samples.

Development of a carbon quantum dot-based sensor for the detection of acetylcholinesterase and the organophosphate pesticide

In this study, a proper and reliable fluorometric method is introduced for screening acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and its inhibitors, using carbon quantum dots (CQDs) as the signal reporter. Pure, S-doped, and P-doped CQDs, were synthesized and their recoverable fluorescence quenching properties were observed, when exposed to Hg2+, Cu2+, and Fe3+ quenching ions, respectively. The study on the recovery of their emission showed that after the introduction of another guest substance with a stronger affinity to the quenching ions, their fluorescence is restored. The Design Expert software was employed to compare the performance of the three CQDs, as fluorescent probes, based on their quenching efficiency and the percentage of their emission recovery in the presence of AChE and acetylthiocholine (ATCh). Based on the statistical analysis, among the studied CQDs, S-doped CQD was the most suitable candidate for sensor designing. The detection mechanism for the proposed S-doped CQD-based sensor is as follows: The strong binding of Cu2+ ions to carboxyl groups of S-doped CQD quenches the fluorescence signal. Then, hydrolysis of ATCh into thiocholine (TCh) in the presence of AChE causes fluorescence recovery, due to the stronger affinity of Cu2+ to the TCh, rather than the CQD. Finally, in the presence of malathion and chlorpyrifos inhibitors, AChE loses its ability to hydrolyze ATCh to TCh, so the fluorescence emission remains quenched. Based on the proposed detection technique, the designed sensor showed detection limits of 1.70 ppb and 1.50 ppb for malathion and chlorpyrifos, respectively.

FAST (Flexible Acetylcholine Sensing Thread): Real-Time Detection of Acetylcholine with a Flexible Solid-Contact Potentiometric Sensor

Acetylcholine (ACh) is involved in memory and learning and has implications in neurodegenerative diseases; it is therefore important to study the dynamics of ACh in the brain. This work creates a flexible solid-contact potentiometric sensor for in vitro and in vivo recording of ACh in the brain and tissue homogenate. We fabricate this sensor using a 250 μm diameter cotton yarn coated with a flexible conductive ink and an ACh sensing membrane that contains a calix[4]arene ionophore. The exposed ion-to-electron transducer was sealed with a 2.5 μm thick Parylene C coating to maintain the flexibility of the sensor. The resulting diameter of the flexible ACh sensing thread (FAST) was 400 μm. The FAST showed a linear response range from 1.0 μM to 10.0 mM in deionized water, with a near-Nernstian slope of 56.11 mV/decade and a limit of detection of 2.6 μM. In artificial cerebrospinal fluid, the limit of detection increased to 20 μM due to the background signal of ionic content of the cerebrospinal fluid. The FAST showed a signal stability of 226 μV/h over 24 h. We show that FAST can measure ACh dynamics in sheep brain tissue and sheep brain homogenate after ACh spiking. FAST is the first flexible electrochemical sensor for monitoring ACh dynamics in the brain.

Label-Free Sensing of Biomolecular Adsorption and Desorption Dynamics by Interfacial Second Harmonic Generation

Observing interfacial molecular adsorption and desorption dynamics in a label-free manner is fundamentally important for understanding spatiotemporal transports of matter and energy across interfaces. Here, we report a label-free real-time sensing technique utilizing strong optical second harmonic generation of monolayer 2D semiconductors. BSA molecule adsorption and desorption dynamics on the surface of monolayer MoS₂ in liquid environments have been all-optically observed through time-resolved second harmonic generation (SHG) measurements. The proposed SHG detection scheme is not only interface specific but also expected to be widely applicable, which, in principle, undertakes a nanometer-scale spatial resolution across interfaces.

An overview of recent analysis and detection of acetylcholine

Acetylcholine (ACh), the major neurotransmitter secreted by cholinergic neurons, is widely found in the peripheral and central nervous systems, and its main function is to complete the transmission of neural signals. When cholinergic neurons are impaired, the synthesis and decomposition of ACh are abnormal and the neural signalling transition is blocked. To some extent, the concentration changes of ACh reflects the occurrence and development of many kinds of nervous system diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Myasthenia gravis and so on. Thus, researches of the physiological and pathological roles and the tracking of the concentration changes of ACh in vivo are significant to the prevention and treatment of these diseases. In the paper, the pathophysiological functions and the comprehensive research progress on detection methods of ACh are summarized. Specifically, the latest research and related applications of the optical and electrochemical biosensors are described, and the future development directions and challenges are prospected, which provides a reference for the detection and applications of ACh.

Constructing a Facile Biocomputing Platform Based on Smart Supramolecular Hydrogel Film Electrodes with Immobilized Enzymes and Gold Nanoclusters

Herein, fluorescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were simultaneously embedded into self-assembled dipeptide supramolecular films of N-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl diphenylalanine (Fmoc-FF) on the surface of ITO electrodes (Fmoc-FF/AuNCs/HRP) by using a simple single-step process. In the films, both the fluorescence property of AuNCs and the bioelectrocatalytic property of HRP were well maintained and could be reversibly regulated by pH-sensitive structural changes in the Fmoc-FF hydrogel films. Cu(II)/EDTA in the solution could lead to the aggregation/disaggregation of AuNCs and further quenching/dequenching the fluorescence signal from the films. Meanwhile, the blue complexes formed by Cu(II) and EDTA could produce a UV-vis signal in the solution. In addition, the coordinated Cu(II) in the films enhanced the electrocatalytic capacity toward the reduction of H₂O₂ and could switch the current signal. A biomolecular logic circuit was built based on the smart film electrode system by using pH, the concentrations of EDTA, Cu(II) and H₂O₂ as inputs, while the fluorescence intensity (FL), current (I) and UV-vis extinction (E) of the solution as outputs. Various logic devices were fabricated using the uniform platform, consisting of an encoder/decoder, demultiplexer, dual-transfer gate, keypad lock, digital comparator, half adder, and controlled NOT (CNOT) gate. Specifically, an electronic three-value logic gate, gullibility (ANY) gate, was first mimicked in this biocomputing system. This work not only demonstrated the construction of a new type of multivalued logic gate by using a dipeptide micromolecular matrix but also provided a new approach for designing sophisticated biologic functions, establishing smart multianalyte biosensing or fabricating biology information processing through the use of a simple film system.

Colorimetric Differentiation of Flavonoids Based on Effective Reactivation of Acetylcholinesterase Induced by Different Affnities between Flavonoids and Metal Ions

Flavonoids are closely related to human health, and the distinguishiment of flavonoids is an important but difficult issue. We herein unveil a novel colorimetric sensor array for the rapid identification of 7 flavonoids (e.g., gallocatechin (GC), morin hydrate (MH), puerarin (Pu), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), catechin (C), rac Naringenin (rN), and Flavone (Fla)) for the first time. The colorimetric performances of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are characteristically correlated with thiocholine, which is issued from the enzymatic hydrolysis of acetylcholine (AcCh). Therefore, as a proof-of-concept design, three sensors (Cu²⁺/acetylcholinesterase (AcChE)/AcCh/AuNPs, Zn²⁺/AcChE/AcCh/AuNPs, and Mn²⁺/AcChE/AcCh/AuNPs) were constructed to form our sensor array. The distinct affinities between flavonoids and metal ions would cause varying degrees of effective reactivation of AcChE, leading to unique colorimetric response patterns upon being challenged with the seven flavonoids for their pattern recognition, enabling an excellent identification of the seven flavonoids at a concentration of 20 nM and different concentrations of individual flavonoids, as well as mixtures of them.

Versatile enzymatic assays by switching on the fluorescence of gold nanoclusters

Herein we present a general and turn-on strategy for enzymatic bioassays on the basis of redox state dependent emission of gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). The photoluminescence of AuNCs was quenched obviously by the oxidative ferricyanide while unaffected by its corresponding reduced state, i.e., ferrocyanide. The distinctive quenching abilities for AuNCs by the redox couple (ferricyanide/ferrocyanide) enabled their utility as new fluorescent sensing platforms to detect redox-related phenomena. The proposed protocols were conducted by using the model oxidoreductases of glucose oxidase (GOx) and the enzyme cascade of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)/diaphorase to catalytically convert ferricyanide to ferrocyanide, which switched on fluorescence of the detection systems. The detection limit for glucose and lactate was found to be as low as 0.12 and 0.09 μM, respectively. This work features the first use of the redox couple of ferricyanide/ferrocyanide in fluorescent bioanalysis, which enables versatile, signal on and highly sensitive/selective detections as compared to the state of the art fluorescently enzymatic sensing platforms. Importantly, considering the significance of ferricyanide/ferrocyanide involves in numerous other oxidoreductases mediated biocatalysis, this protocol has wide versatility that enables combination with oxidoreductases related reactions for biosensing.

A new fluorescent hemicryptophane for acetylcholine recognition with an unusual recognition mode

The ammonium of the target interacts with the south part of the hemicryptophane probably because the cyclotriveratrylene's electronic density is altered by the extension of conjugation.

A Probe for Fluorescence Detection of the Acetylcholinesterase Activity Based on Molecularly Imprinted Polymers Coated Carbon Dots

This paper presents a new probe for fluorescence detection of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) coated carbon dots (C-dots) composite. The C-dots were hydrothermally synthesized with grafted silica surface and sealed with molecularly imprinted polymers in silica pores (MIP@C-dots) in situ. Removed the original template molecules, the MIP@C-dots composite exhibits quite high selectivity for acetylthiocholine (ACh). With AChE, its substrate ACh will be hydrolyzed into thiocholine and the fluorescence signals exhibit a dramatic decrease at 465 nm, Under optimal conditions, the fluorescent probe shows sensitive responses to AChE in the range of 0.01-0.6 mU/mL. The detection limits of AChE are as low as 3 µU/mL. These experiments results validate the novel fluorescent probe based on MIP@C-dots composite, paving a new way to evaluation of AChE activity and Screening inhibitors.

Protein-Inorganic Hybrid Nanoflower-Rooted Agarose Hydrogel Platform for Point-of-Care Detection of Acetylcholine

Rapid and precise profiling of acetylcholine (ACh) has become important for diagnosing diseases and safeguarding health care because of its pivotal role in the central nervous system. Herein, we developed a new colorimetric sensor based on protein-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers as artificial peroxidase, comprising a test kit and a smartphone reader, which sensitively quantifies ACh in human serum. In this sensor, ACh indirectly triggered the substrate reaction with the help of a multienzyme system including acetylcholinesterase, choline oxidase, and mimic peroxidase (nanoflowers), accompanying the enhancement of absorbance intensity at 652 nm. Therefore, the multienzyme platform can be used to detect ACh via monitoring the change of the absorbance in a range from 0.0005 to 6.0 mmol L^-1. It is worth mentioning that the platform was used to prepare a portable agarose gel-based kit for rapid qualitative monitoring of ACh. Coupling with ImageJ program, the image information of test kits can be transduced into the hue parameter, which provides a directly quantitative tool to identify ACh. Based on the advantages of simple operation, good selectivity, and low cost, the availability of a portable kit for point-of-care testing will achieve the needs of frequent screening and diagnostic tracking.

Synthesis of gold nanocluster-loaded lysozyme nanoparticles for label-free ratiometric fluorescent pH sensing: applications to enzyme–substrate systems and cellular imaging

We have demonstrated the synthesis of gold nanocluster-loaded lysozyme nanoparticles as a dual-emission probe for ratiometric sensing of pH changes in enzyme–substrate systems and live cells.

Label-Free, Single-Particle, Colorimetric Detection of Permanganate by GNPs@Ag Core-Shell Nanoparticles with Dark-Field Optical Microscopy

Rapid quantification of permanganate (MnO₄^-) in aqueous solution with a convenient and sensitive single-particle-detection (SPD) method is demonstrated by dark-field optical microscopy. The design is based on the selective etching of the Ag shell of a glucose-protected GNPs@Ag nanoparticle by MnO₄^-. In the presence of MnO₄^-, a noticeable red-shift of localized surface-plasmon resonance (LSPR, from blue to green) together with a tremendous decrease in the extinction coefficient from individual GNPs@Ag nanoparticles is observed. MnO₄^- can then be quantified by calculating the ratio between the number of green and blue particles on the cover glass surface after the etching process. A linear dynamic range of 0-6 μM and a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 46 nM were readily achieved, which are much lower than those of spectroscopic measurements in bulk solution. In tap water, a comparable LOD (50 nM) and satisfactory recovery efficiency are demonstrated. As a consequence of these merits, the method demonstrated herein will find promising applications for the ultrasensitive detection of MnO₄^- under complex milieu in the future.

Laser-induced formation of Au/Pt nanorods with peroxidase mimicking and SERS enhancement properties for application to the colorimetric determination of H2O2

Platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) were uniformly grown on the surface of gold nanorods (AuNRs) by a laser irradiation procedure. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the PtNPs are uniformly grown on the surface of the AuNRs. The formation of PtNPs on the AuNRs leads to a red-shift of the absorption maximum from 734 nm to 766 nm. In addition, the efficiency of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is increased, but the photothermal conversion efficiency is decreased compared to pure AuNRs. The result indicates that electron transfer occurs between gold and platinum. The peroxidase mimicking effect of PtNPs, AuNRs and Au/Pt NRs by catalyzing the oxidation of colorless 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to blue oxidized 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (oxTMB; a quinone) in the presence of H₂O₂. The catalytic activity of Au/Pt NRs is higher than that of sole AuNRs or PtNPs by factors of 4.2 and 2.1, respectively. Thus, Au/Pt NRs have been used for the detection of peroxide and the limit of detection is 0.04 μM. This work provides an approach to integrate the peroxidase mimicking effect with SERS enhancement for potential application in detection. Graphical abstract A schematic diagram for the laser-induced growth of Au/Pt NRs and the colorimetric determination of hydrogen peroxide concentration with their peroxidase mimicking properties. The limit of detection is 0.04 μM based on the use of Au/Pt NRs as a catalyst.

Targeted Nanoparticles for Selective Marking of Neuromuscular Junctions and ex Vivo Monitoring of Endogenous Acetylcholine Hydrolysis

The present work for the first time introduces nanosensors for luminescent monitoring of acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-catalyzed hydrolysis of endogenous acetylcholine (ACh) released in neuromuscular junctions of isolated muscles. The sensing function results from the quenching of Tb(III)-centered luminescence due to proton-induced degradation of luminescent Tb(III) complexes doped into silica nanoparticles (SNs, 23 nm), when acetic acid is produced from the enzymatic hydrolysis of ACh. The targeting of the silica nanoparticles by α-bungarotoxin was used for selective staining of the synaptic space in the isolated muscles by the nanosensors. The targeting procedure was optimized for the high sensing sensitivity. The measuring of the Tb(III)-centered luminescence intensity of the targeted SNs by fluorescent microscopy enables us to sense a release of endogenous ACh in neuromuscular junctions of the isolated muscles under their stimulation by a high-frequency train (20 Hz, for 3 min). The ability of the targeted SNs to sense an inhibiting effect of paraoxon on enzymatic activity of AChE in ex vivo conditions provides a way of mimicking external stimuli effects on enzymatic processes in the isolated muscles.

Gold Nanocluster Containing Polymeric Microcapsules for Intracellular Ratiometric Fluorescence Biosensing

A new approach to sensing and imaging hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) was developed using microcapsule-based dual-emission ratiometric luminescent biosensors. Bovine serum albumin-capped gold nanoclusters (BSA-AuNCs) sensitive to H₂O₂ were coencapsulated with insensitive FluoSpheres (FSs) within polymeric capsules fabricated via the layer-by-layer method. Under single-wavelength excitation, the microcapsule-based biosensors exhibited emission bands at ∼516 and ∼682 nm resulting from the FSs and BSA-AuNCs, respectively. The polyelectrolyte multilayers lining the microcapsules were effective in protecting BSA-AuNCs from the degradation catalyzed by proteases (chymotrypsin, trypsin, papain, and proteinase K) and subsequent luminescent quenching, overcoming a key limitation of prior BSA-AuNC-based sensing systems. The luminescent response of the sensors was also found to be independent of local changes in pH (5-9). Quenching of the AuNCs in the presence of H₂O₂ enabled the spectroscopic quantification and imaging of changes in H₂O₂ concentration from 0 to 1 mM. The microcapsule sensors were easily phagocytized by murine macrophage cells (RAW 264.7), were effective as intracellular H₂O₂ imaging probes, and were successfully used to detect local release of H₂O₂ in response to an external chemical stimulus.

pH-Degradable antioxidant nanoparticles based on hydrogen-bonded tannic acid assembly

Hydrogen-bonded polyphenol-based assemblies have attracted increasing interest for biomedical applications.

Phenylsulfonic acid functionalized carbon quantum dots based biosensor for acetylcholinesterase activity monitoring and inhibitor screening

Phenylsulfonic acid functionalized carbon quantum dots (PSA-CQDs) were prepared and used to construct a convenient and reliable fluorometric biosensor for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and inhibitor screening.

Highly selective and sensitive nanoprobes for cyanide based on gold nanoclusters with red fluorescence emission

We report a novel and environmentally friendly fluorescent probe for detecting the cyanide ion (CN(-)) using L-amino acid oxidase (LAAOx)-protected Au nanoclusters (LAAOx@AuNCs) with red emission. The fluorescence-based sensing behaviour of LAAOx@AuNCs towards anions was investigated in buffered aqueous media. Among the anions studied, CN(-) was found to effectively quench the fluorescence emission of AuNCs based on CN(-) induced Au core decomposition. Excellent sensitivity and selectivity toward the detection of CN(-) in aqueous solution were observed. The CN(-) detection limit was determined to be approximately 180 nM, which is 15 times lower than the maximum level (2700 nM) of CN(-) in drinking water permitted by the World Health Organization (WHO). A linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity and CN(-) concentration was observed in two ranges of CN(-) concentration, including 3.2 × 10(-6) to 3.4 × 10(-5) mol L(-1) and 3.81 × 10(-5) to 1.04 × 10(-4) mol L(-1). The high sensitivity and selectivity to CN(-) among the 17 types of anions make the AuNCs good candidates for use in fluorescent nanoprobes of CN(-).

Fast synthesis of fluorescent SiO2@CdTe nanoparticles with reusability in detection of H2O2

In this study, highly fluorescent core/shell SiO₂@CdTe nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized conveniently and efficiently via a hydrothermal method. The as-prepared SiO₂@CdTe NPs were uniform with good fluorescence preservation. The SiO₂@CdTe NPs could be used for the rapid detection of H₂O₂ with good sensitivity within several minutes. Excellent linear relationships existed between the quenching degrees of the SiO₂@CdTe NPs and the concentration of H₂O₂ in the range of 0.005 mM to 0.1 mM. The limit of detection (LOD) for H₂O₂ was 10 nM. Furthermore, it was proved that SiO₂@CdTe NPs could be used repeatedly for H₂O₂ detection due to their easy separation, which is an important feature. The excellent performance of SiO₂@CdTe NPs should facilitate their applications in chemistry or biology for detection of H₂O₂.

A label-free fluorescent assay for free chlorine in drinking water based on protein-stabilized gold nanoclusters

Bovine serum albumin stabilized Au nanoclusters (BSA-AuNCs) were demonstrated as a novel fluorescence probe for sensitive and selective detection of free chlorine in drinking water. The fluorescence of BSA-AuNCs was found to be quenched effectively by the free chlorine, and the decrease in fluorescence intensity of BSA-AuNCs allowed the sensitive detection of free chlorine in the range of 0.8-800 μM. The detection limit is 0.50 μM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The present fluorescent assay for free chlorine possesses low detection limit, wide linear range and good selectivity. Real tap water samples were analyzed with satisfactory results, which suggested its potential for water quality analysis.