Ratiometric Fluorescence Detection of 6-Mercaptopurine Based on the Nanohybrid of Fluorescence Carbon Dots and Gold Nanoclusters

The development of a simple and accurate quantitative method for the determination of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) is of great importance because of its serious side effects. Ratiometric fluorescence (RF) sensors are not subject to interference from environmental factors, and exhibit enhanced precision and accuracy. Therefore, a novel RF sensor for the selective detection of 6-MP was developed. The present work reports a sensitive and selective RF sensor for the detection of 6-mercaptopurine, by hybridizing carbon nanodots (CDots) and gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) capped with bovine serum albumin (BSA). The CDots serve as the reference signal and the AuNCs as the reporter. On addition of the 6-MP, AuNCs formed aggregates, because the existing cross-links within the AuNCs and BSA structure were broken in favour of the Au-S bonds, which can enhance the fluorescence of AuNCs, while the fluorescence of CDots is stable against 6-MP, leading to distinct ratiometric fluorescence changes when exposed to 6-MP. 6-MP could be detected in the range of 0 - 30.22 μM with a detection limit of 54 nM. The developed sensor was applied for the determination of 6-MP in human serum samples and satisfactory results were obtained.

A novel colorimetric and ratiometric NIR fluorescent sensor for glutathione based on dicyanomethylene-4H-pyran in living cells

Glutathione(GSH)plays a critical role in maintaining oxidation-reduction homeostasis in biological systems.Considering the detection of GSH by fluorescence sensors is limited by either the short wavelength emission or the poor photostability,a highly stable colorimetric and ratiometric NIR fluorescent sensor(DCM-S)for GSH detection has been constructed on the basis of dicyanomethylene-4H-pyran(DCM)chromophore.The specific disulfide bond is incorporated via a carbamate linker as the GSH responsive group,which simultaneously blue-shifts and quenches the fluorescence.Upon addition of GSH,DCM-S exhibits outstanding colorimetric(from yellow to red)and ratiometric fluorescent response with the 6-fold enhancement of NIR fluorescence at 665 nm in quantum yield.More importantly,the GSH-treated DCM-S(DCM-NH_2 actually)possesses 20-fold longer fluorescence half-life period as well as much better photostability than the FDA-approved ICG.Finally,the ratiometric detection of GSH is also successfully operated in the living cell imaging,exhibiting NIR fluorescence and large Stokes shift(215 nm)with nearly no background fluorescence interference.As a consequence,DCM-S can be utilized as colorimetric and ratiometric NIR fluorescent sensor for GSH,with a great potential in the development of GSH-induced drug delivery system.