Fluorescence emission quenching of RdB fluorophores in attendance of various blood type RBCs based on Stern-Volmer formalism

A novel dual-function peptide-based fluorescent probe with large Stokes shift for the simultaneous detection and quantification of Ag(I) and Hg(II) ions

Achieving highly selective detections of Ag+ and Hg2+ is of great importance because their excessive emission can cause many diseases. Herein, a novel large Stokes shift fluorescent probe DKT based on dansyl fluorophore modified peptide biomolecules (NH2-Thr-Lys-Thr-NH2) was successfully synthesized, which can simultaneously detect Ag+ (turn on) and Hg2+ (turn off) based on different fluorescent response patterns in 100% aqueous solution. DKT also enables quantitative detection of Ag+ and Hg2+ with LODs of 37.1 nM and 26.7 nM, respectively. Besides, ESI-HRMS spectra, Job's plot, and fluorometric titration confirmed that the binding stoichiometry was determined to be 2: 1 between DKT and Ag+/Hg2+. Moreover, DKT has good fluorescence stability and rapidly detected Ag+ and Hg2+ over a wide pH range. Furthermore, DKT was applied to quantitative detect Ag+ and Hg2+ in three actual water samples, three tea samples and watermelon juice, which exhibited that DKT has good potential for accuracy in environmental monitoring and water quality control. Additionally, the results of fluorescence bioimaging showed that DKT had significant distinguishing ability to detect Ag+ and Hg2+ in living cells and zebrafish larvae. More importantly, smartphone App platform based on DKT not only provided a reliable new method for the field quantitative monitoring of Ag+ and Hg2+, but also expanded its application prospect in the field of heavy metal ions pollution detection.

Direct Optical Detection of Factor Xa Activity in Minimally Processed Whole Blood

The ability to measure factor Xa activity directly in whole blood samples offers a path toward point-of-care monitoring and personalized anticoagulant dosage, potentially reducing bleeding risk and other anticoagulant-associated complications. We present a strategy to enable direct optical detection of factor Xa in minimally processed whole blood samples. Our strategy relies on a custom FRET-pair labeled DNA-peptide substrate, allowing FRET ratio to be monitored as an indicator of factor Xa activity. Substrates are tethered to a tapered-fiber sensor to allow evanescent detection of fluorescence directly at the sensor surface, minimizing background media interference and enabling detection directly in blood samples. After characterizing the custom substrate and demonstrating the correlation of fiber-based measurements to an existing chromogenic assay, we demonstrate the detection of endogenous factor Xa activity in >85% whole blood. Finally, we demonstrate the detection of therapeutic concentrations of enoxaparin, a widely used anticoagulant, directly in 90% whole blood in less than an hour and correlate these measurements to activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) testing. Together, these results indicate a promising strategy to achieve point-of-care factor Xa detection, enabling personalized anticoagulant treatment and reducing adverse outcomes.

Carbon Dot-Laponite Hybrid Nanocomposites as Selective Turn-Off Sensors for Hg2+ Detection and Photoluminescence Quenching Mechanism

Motivated by the importance of Hg2+ detection in water due to its harmful effect on the environment and human health, we investigated a recently developed nanocomposite based on carbon dots (CDs) and LAPONITE as an optical chemical sensor using photoluminescence emission. While several studies have reported the Hg2+ detection using CDs' photoluminescence emission, there is a lack of in-depth investigation into the quenching mechanisms involved in turn-off sensors. In this study, we propose a Stern-Volmer analysis at three different temperatures (288, 298, and 303 K). The results indicated selectivity for Hg2+ over that of the other evaluated metal. The optimum detection range for Hg2+ was found to be 1-40 μM, with limits of detection and quantification of 2.5 and 8.3 μM, respectively. Using the Stern-Volmer models, we found that static quenching dominates over collisional quenching, possibly due to the complexation between nanocomposite's carboxylate groups and Hg2+. Additionally, the modified Stern-Volmer model, which accounts for the fractional accessibility of the fluorophores by the quenchers, suggests that some parts of the sensor are inaccessible to the quencher.

Rapid Detection of Aluminium and Iron Impurities in Lithium Carbonate Using Water-Soluble Fluorescent Probes

The real-time measurement of the content of impurities such as iron and aluminium ions is one of the keys to quality evaluation in the production process of high-purity lithium carbonate; however, impurity detection has been a time-consuming process for many years, which limits the optimisation of the production of high-purity lithium carbonate. In this context, this work explores the possibility of using water-soluble fluorescent probes for the rapid detection of impurity ions. Salicylaldehyde was modified with the hydrophilic group dl-alanine to synthesise a water-soluble Al3+ fluorescent probe (Probe A). Moreover, a water-soluble Fe3+ fluorescent probe (Probe B) was synthesised from coumarin-3-carboxylic acid and 3-hydroxyaminomethane. Probe A and Probe B exhibited good stability in the pH range of 4-9 in aqueous solutions, high sensitivity, as well as high selectivity for Al3+ and Fe3+; the detection limits for Al3+ and Fe3+ were 1.180 and 1.683 μmol/L, whereas the response times for Al3+ and Fe3+ were as low as 10 and 30 s, respectively. Electrostatic potential (ESP) analysis and density functional theory calculations identified the binding sites and fluorescence recognition mechanism; theoretical calculations showed that the enhanced fluorescence emission of Probe A when detecting Al3+ was due to the excited intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) effect, whereas the fluorescence quenching of Probe B when detecting Fe3+ was due to the electrons turning off fluorescence when binding through the photoelectron transfer (PET) mechanism.

Laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy of plant-based drugs: Opium and hashish provoking at 405 nm

Here, the fluorescence properties of some plant-based drug samples are characterized using a coherent excitation source at 405 nm. The laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy is examined to analyze opium and hashish. In order to improve traditional fluorescence methods for better analysis of optically dense materials, we have proposed five characteristic parameters based on solvent densitometry assay as the fingerprints of drugs of interest. The signal emissions are recorded in terms of various drug concentrations, such that the best fitting over experimental data determines the fluorescence extinction (α) and self-quenching (k) coefficients according to the modified Beer-Lambert formalism. The typical α value is determined to be 0.30 and 0.15 mL/(cm∙mg) for opium and hashish, respectively. Similarly, typical k is obtained 0.390 and 1.25 mL/(cm∙mg), respectively. Furthermore, the concentration at max fluorescence intensity (Cp) is determined for opium and hashish to be 1.8 and 1.3 mg/mL, respectively. Results reveal that opium and hashish benefit their own characteristic fluorescence parameters to discriminate those illicit substances promptly using the present method.

A PET Fluorescent Probe for Dynamic Pd2+ Tracking with Imaging Applications in the Nanofiber and Living Cells

Constructed on the moiety of a lactam screw ring, a near-infrared fluorescent probe RCya for Pd²⁺ was designed under the PET mechanism and synthesized by incorporating 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde as the recognition group. Dynamic detection of aqueous Pd²⁺ by the probe RCya could be accomplished through ion competition, linear response, fluorescence-pH/time stabilities, and other optical tests. Moreover, the high selectivity, low cytotoxicity, cell permeability, and lysosome accumulation properties of RCya enabled the imaging applications on solid-state RCya-PAN composite nanofibers and in living cells. The recognition mechanism of probe RCya toward Pd²⁺ was further studied through simulation calculation and MS analysis.

A ratiometric fluorescence platform based on carbon dots for visual and rapid detection of copper(II) and fluoroquinolones

A simple smartphone-integrated ratiometric fluorescent sensing system for visual determination of copper ions (Cu²⁺) and fluoroquinolones (FQs) was developed based on carbon dots (CDs) which were synthesized through the high-temperature pyrolysis of citric acid. In this system, with the fluorescence resonance energy transfer effect between CDs and 2,3-diaminophenazine (oxOPD), the detection of Cu²⁺ and ciprofloxacin (CIP, an example for FQs) was realized. Cu²⁺ catalyzes the oxidation of OPD to form oxOPD with yellow fluorescence, resulting in the quenching of CDs. In addition, CIP can inhibit the catalytic activity of Cu²⁺ and induce the recovery of CDs fluorescence. Under the excitation of 400 nm, the changes of CDs fluorescence at 472 nm and oxOPD fluorescence at 556 nm were monitored. The detection results showed that the sensing system exhibited good selectivity and sensitivity to Cu²⁺ and CIP with the limit of detection of 2.32 × 10^-8 mol L^-1 and 0.2 ng mL^-1, respectively. In addition, a smartphone was developed as a portable analyzer to capture the change of fluorescence color and quickly analyze the concentration of Cu²⁺ and CIP. The proposed smartphone-based sensing platform has satisfactory sensitivity, and it has application prospects for detecting Cu²⁺ and FQs in food safety monitoring.