Determination of vanadium(V) with CdTe quantum dots as fluorescent probes

CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were modified with thioglycolic acid (TGA) and synthesized in aqueous medium. The optimum fluorescence intensity was found to be at pH 6.24 with a CdTe QDs concentration of 4.96 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹. The quenched fluorescence intensity of CdTe QDs is linearly proportional to V(V) concentration from 10 to 200 ng mL⁻¹ with correlation coefficient R = 0.9985. The limit of detection for V(V) was 2.07 ng mL⁻¹. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of trace amounts of V(V) in water samples with recovery of 96.5–101.8%, and the results were in good agreement with those of electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.     

Multi-spectroscopic Study on the Interaction between CdTe Quantum Dots and Bovine Serum Albumin

The interaction between CdTe quantum dots (QDs) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was systematically investigated by fluorescence, UV‐vis absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy under physiological conditions. The experimental results showed that the fluorescence of BSA could be quenched by CdTe QDs with a static quenching mechanism, indicating that CdTe QDs could react with BSA. The quenching constants according to the modified Stern‐Volmer equation were obtained as 1.710×10⁶, 1.291×10⁶ and 1.010×10⁶ L·mol^?1 at 298, 304, and 310 K, respectively. ΔH, ΔS and ΔG for CdTe QDs‐BSA system were calculated to be ?33.68 kJ·mol^?1, 6.254 J·mol^?1·K^?1 and ?35.54 kJ·mol^?1 (298 K), respectively, showing that electrostatic interaction in the system played a major role. According to F?rster theory, the distance between Trp‐214 in BSA and CdTe QDs was given as 2.18 nm. The UV‐vis, synchronous fluorescence and CD spectra confirmed further that the conformations of BSA after addition of CdTe QDs have been changed.     

Determination of L‐Cystine by a New Sensitive Cucurbit[7]uril/palmatine Probe

In the presence of cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]), the CB[7] could react with palmatine, which served as a sensitive fluorescence probe, to form host‐guest stable complexes and the fluorescence intensity of the complexes was greatly enhanced. The fluorescence intensity decreased linearly with an increasing number of L‐cystine in the inclusion system. The experimental results show that there exists a competition between L‐cystine and palmatine for the CB[7] hydrophobic cavity and L‐cystine occupies the space of CB[7] cavity, leading palmatine molecules to be forced to reside in the aqueous environment. Based on the fluorescence quenching of the CB[7]/palmatine complexes resulting from complex formation between CB[7] and L‐cystine, a spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of L‐cystine in aqueous solution in the presence of CB[7] was developed. The linear relationship between the corresponding values of the fluorescence quenching ΔF and L‐cystine concentration was obtained in the range of 6.0 to 1.5×10³ ng·mL^?1, with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9996. The detection limit was 2.0 ng·mL^?1. The application of the present method to the determination of L‐cystine in tablets gave satisfactory results. This paper also discussed the mechanism of the fluorescence indicator probe.     

Detection of Hg2+ and F− Ions by Using Fluorescence Switching of Quantum Dots in an Au‐Cluster–CdTe QD Nanocomposite

A single probe of an Au nanocluster–CdTe quantum dots nanocomposite has been developed by using tripeptide‐capped CdTe quantum dots (QD) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein‐conjugated Au₂₅ nanocluster (NC) for detection of both Hg²⁺ ion and F^? ion. The formation of Au‐NC–CdTe QD nanocomposite has been confirmed by TEM, steady state and time resolved spectroscopy, CD and FTIR studies. A significant signal off (74 % PL quenching at 553 nm) phenomenon of this nanocomposite is observed in presence of 6.56×10^?7 M Hg²⁺ ion, due to salt‐induced aggregation. However, a dramatic PL enhancement (128 %) of the Au‐NC–CdTe QD nanocomposite is observed in presence of 8.47×10^?7 M F^? anion. The calculated limit of detections (LOD) of Hg²⁺ ion concentration and F^? ion concentration are found to be 9 and 117 nM , respectively, which are within the safety range set by the United States Environment Protection Agency. Thus, the simple Au‐NC–CdTe QD optical‐based sensor is very useful to detect both toxic cations and anions.     

Surface‐State‐Mediated Charge‐Transfer Dynamics in CdTe/CdSe Core–Shell Quantum Dots

Herein, we report the synthesis of aqueous CdTe/CdSe type‐II core–shell quantum dots (QDs) in which 3‐mercaptopropionic acid is used as the capping agent. The CdTe QDs and CdTe/CdSe core–shell QDs are characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR‐TEM), steady‐state absorption, and emission spectroscopy. A red shift in the steady‐state absorption and emission bands is observed with increasing CdSe shell thickness over CdTe QDs. The XRD pattern indicates that the peaks are shifted to higher angles after growth of the CdSe shell on the CdTe QDs. HR‐TEM images of both CdTe and CdTe/CdSe QDs indicate that the particles are spherical, with a good shape homogeneity, and that the particle size increases by about 2 nm after shell formation. In the time‐resolved emission studies, we observe that the average emission lifetime (τ_av) increases to 23.5 ns for CdTe/CdSe (for the thickest shell) as compared to CdTe QDs (τ_av=12 ns). The twofold increment in the average emission lifetime indicates an efficient charge separation in type‐II CdTe/CdSe core–shell QDs. Transient absorption studies suggest that both the carrier cooling and the charge‐transfer dynamics are affected by the presence of traps in the CdTe QDs and CdTe/CdSe core–shell QDs. Carrier quenching experiments indicate that hole traps strongly affect the carrier cooling dynamics in CdTe/CdSe core–shell QDs.     

Probing the mechanism of the interaction between l‐cysteine‐capped‐CdTe quantum dots and Hg2+ using capillary electrophoresis with ensemble techniques

A good understanding of the mechanism of interaction between quantum dots (QDs) and heavy metal ions is essential for the design of more effective sensor systems. In this work, CE was introduced to explore how l ‐cysteine‐capped‐CdTe QDs (l ‐cys‐CdTe QDs) interacts with Hg²⁺. The change in electrophoretic mobility can synchronously reflect the change in the composition and property of QDs. The effects of the free and capping ligands on the system are discussed in detail. ESI‐MS, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, and fluorescence (FL) were also applied as cooperative tools to study the interaction mechanism. Furthermore, the interaction mechanism, which principally depended on the concentration of Hg²⁺, was proposed reasonably. At the low concentration of Hg²⁺, the formation of a static complex between Hg²⁺ and the carboxyl and amino groups of l ‐cys‐CdTe QDs surface was responsible for the FL quenching. With the increase of Hg²⁺ concentration, the capping l ‐cys was stripped from the surface of l ‐cys‐CdTe QDs due to the high affinity of Hg²⁺ to the thiol group of l ‐cys. Our study demonstrates that CE can reveal the mechanism of the interaction between QDs and heavy metal ions, such as FL quenching.     

Ratiometric Fluorescent Paper-Based Sensor Based on CdTe Quantum Dots and Graphite Carbon Nitride Hybrid for Visual and Rapid Determination of Cu2+ in Drinks

A simple and effective ratiometric fluorescence sensor of CdTe QDs/GCNNs for on-site and rapid analysis of Cu²⁺ has been established by mixing physically CdTe QDs and graphite carbon nitride (GCNNs). Two emissions peaks of CdTe QDs at 572 nm and GCNNs at 436 nm are both excitated at 340 nm. Under a UV lamp, fluorescent of traffic yellow CdTe QDs is linearly quenched by Cu²⁺ (as the detection signal), while blue GCNNs remains unchanged (as the reference), resulting in a distinguishable color change gradually from pink yellow to blue. The limit of detection (LOD) of this new sensor for Cu²⁺ is as low as 0.47 ng mL⁻¹ with 1.4 % RSD. The established method has been successfully applied to detection of Cu²⁺ in various drinks with satisfactory results. Moreover, a paper-based sensor, which has been prepared by soaking cellulose acetate membrane in CdTe QDs/GCNNs sensor solution, has a wide semiquantitative detection range for Cu²⁺ (0.01 ~ 5.0 μg mL⁻¹). It has realized successfully on-site and rapid determination of Cu²⁺ in red wine without any pretreatment procedure and is of great promotion and application value in determination of Cu²⁺ in liquid samples.     

Special characteristics of fluorescence and resonance Rayleigh scattering for cadmium telluride nanocrystal aqueous solution and its interactions with aminoglycoside antibiotics

CdTe nanocrystals (CdTe NCs) were achieved by reaction of CdCl₂ with KHTe solution and were capped with sodium mercaptoacetate. The product was detected by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), fluorescence spectra, ultraviolet-visible spectra and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The CdTe NCs are of cubic structure and the average size is about 5 nm. The fluorescence quantum yield of CdTe NCs aqueous solution increased from 37% to 97% after 20 d under room light. The maximum λ _em of fluorescence changed from 543 nm to 510 nm and the blue shift was 33 nm. CdTe NCs aqueous solution can be steady for at least 10 months at 4 in° a refrigerator. The resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) of CdTe NCs in the aqueous solution was investigated. The maximum scattering peak was located at about 554 nm. The interactions of CdTe NCs with amikacin sulfate (AS) and micronomicin sulfate (MS) were investigated respectively. The effects of AS and MS on fluorescence and RRS of CdTe NCs were analyzed. It was found that AS and MS quenched the photoluminescence of CdTe NCs and enhanced RRS of CdTe NCs. Under optimum conditions, there are linear relationships between quenching intensity (F ₀-F), intensity of RRS (I-I ₀) and concentration of AS and MS. The detection limits (3б) of AS and MS are respectively 3.4 ng·mL⁻¹ and 2.6 ng·mL⁻¹ by the fluorescence quenching method, and 15.2 ng·mL⁻¹ and 14.0 ng·mL⁻¹ by the RRS method. The methods have high sensitivity, thus CdTe NCs may be used as fluorescence probes and RRS probes for the detection of aminoglycoside antibiotics. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 20475045)     

A Benzodithiophene‐Based Fluorescence Probe for Rapid Detection of Fluoride Ion

A novel and simple fluorescence probe was synthesized from benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene (BDT) and trimethylsilylethyne via Sonogashira reaction, and showed highly selective and sensitive fluorescence decreasing response towards F^?. The probe molecule turned to a weakly fluorescent terminal alkyne moiety because its trimethylsilyl (TMS) group was cleaved by fluoride, which was proved by ¹H NMR titration. Whereas no distinct fluorescent changes were observed with the addition of other anions, such as Cl^?, Br^?, I^?, AcO^? and H₂PO₄^?. Upon the addition of F^?, the maximum fluorescence emission wavelength shifted from 460 nm to 450 nm with a decrease of fluorescence intensity by 40% within 20 s. Moreover, the detection limit towards F^? was calculated to be as low as 73.5 nmol/L.     

Energy/Hole Transfer Phenomena in Hybrid α‐Sexithiophene (α‐STH) Nanoparticle–CdTe Quantum‐Dot Nanocomposites

Considerable attention has been paid to hybrid organic–inorganic nanocomposites for designing new optical materials. Herein, we demonstrate the energy and hole transfer of hybrid hole‐transporting α‐sexithiophene (α‐STH) nanoparticle–CdTe quantum dot (QD) nanocomposites using steady‐state and time‐resolved spectroscopy. Absorption and photoluminescence studies confirm the loss of planarity of the α‐sexithiophene molecule due to the formation of polymer nanoparticles. Upon photoexcitation at 370 nm, a nonradiative energy transfer (73 %) occurs from the hole‐transporting α‐STH nanoparticles to the CdTe nanoparticles with a rate of energy transfer of 6.13×10⁹ s^?1. However, photoluminescence quenching of the CdTe QDs in the presence of the hole‐transporting α‐STH nanoparticles is observed at 490 nm excitation, which is due to both static‐quenching and hole‐transfer‐based dynamic‐quenching phenomena. The calculated hole‐transporting rate is 7.13×10⁷ s^?1 in the presence of 42×10^?8 M α‐STH nanoparticles. Our findings suggest that the interest in α‐sexithiophene (α‐STH) nanoparticle–CdTe QD hybrid nanocomposites might grow in the coming years because of various potential applications, such as solar cells, optoelectronic devices, and so on.     

A ratiometric fluorometric heparin assay based on the use of CdTe and polyethyleneimine-coated carbon quantum dots

CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were integrated with polyethyleneimine-coated carbon dots (PEI-CDs) to form a dually emitting probe for heparin. The red fluorescence of the CdTe QDs is quenched by the PEI-CDs due to electrostatic interactions. In the presence of heparin, the blue fluorescence of PEI-CDs remains unaffected, while its quenching effect on the fluorescence of CdTe QDs is strongly reduced. A ratiometric fluorometric assay was worked out. The ratio of the fluorescences at 595 and 436 nm serves as the analytical signal. Response is linear in the concentration range of 50–600 ng·mL^?1 (0.1–1.2 U·mL^?1) of heparin. The limit of detection is 20 ng·mL^?1 (0.04 U·mL^?1). This makes the method a valuable tool for heparin monitoring during postoperative and long-term care. This assay is relatively free from the interference by other analogues which commonly co-exist with heparin in samples, and it is more robust than single-wavelength based assays.

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Graphical abstract In the presence of heparin, the fluorescence of polyethyleneimine-coated carbon dots (PEI-CDs) at 436 nm remains unaffected, while its quenching effect on the fluorescence of CdTe at 595 nm is strongly reduced.

     

Fluorescence ELISA for sensitive detection of ochratoxin A based on glucose oxidase-mediated fluorescence quenching of CdTe QDs

The present study described a novel fluorescence enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) used to detect ochratoxin A (OTA) by using the glucose oxidase (GOx)-mediated fluorescence quenching of mercaptopropionic acid-capped CdTe quantum dots (MPA-QDs), in which GOx was used as an alternative to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) for the oxidization of glucose into hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and gluconic acid. The MPA-QDs were used as a fluorescent signal output, whose fluorescence variation was extremely sensitive to the presence of H₂O₂ or hydrogen ions in the solution. Under the optimized conditions, the proposed fluorescence ELISA demonstrated a good linear detection of OTA in corn extract from 2.4 pg mL⁻¹ to 625 pg mL⁻¹ with a limit of detection of 2.2 pg mL⁻¹, which was approximately 15-fold lower than that of conventional HRP-based ELISA. Our developed fluorescence immunoassay was also similar to HRP-based ELISA in terms of selectivity, accuracy, and reproducibility. In summary, this study was the first to use the GOx-mediated fluorescence quenching of QDs in immunoassay to detect OTA, offering a new possibility for the analysis of other mycotoxins and biomolecules.     

Thiol-stabilized luminescent CdTe quantum dot as biological fluorescent probe for sensitive detection of methyl parathion by a fluoroimmunochromatographic technique

Quantum dots (QDs) are preferred as high-resolution biological fluorescent probes because of their inherent optical properties compared with organic dyes. This intrinsic property of QDs has been made use of for sensitive detection of methylparathion (MP) at picogramme levels. The specificity of the assay was attributed to highly specific immunological reactions. Competitive binding between free MP and CdTe QD bioconjugated MP (MP-BSA-CdTe) with immobilized anti-MP IgY antibodies was monitored in a flow-injection system. The fluorescence intensity of MP-BSA-CdTe bioconjugate eluted from the column was found to be directly proportional to the free MP concentration. Hence, it was possible to detect MP in a linear range of 0.1–1 ng mL⁻¹ with a regression coefficient R ² = 0.9905. In this investigation, IgY proved advantageous over IgG class immunoglobulins in terms of yield, stability, cost effectiveness, and enhancement of assay sensitivity. The photo-absorption spectrum of bioconjugated CdTe QD (λ _max = 310 nm) confirmed nano-biomolecular interactions. The results suggest the potential application of bioconjugation and nano-biomolecular interactions of QDs for biological labeling and target analyte detection with high sensitivity.     

聚乙二醇增敏亚甲蓝-四苯硼化钠离子缔合物荧光探针荧光猝灭法测定痕量蛋白质

在KH2PO4- Na2HPO4缓冲溶液中，离子缔合物[MB]+·[B(C6H5)4]–可发射强而稳定的荧光，牛血清蛋白（BSA）能使[MB]+·[B(C6H5)4]–的荧光信号显著猝灭，聚乙二醇(PEG)对荧光信号猝灭的有强的增敏作用，加PEG比不加PEG时，ΔF（= F0－F，其中，F0与F分别为试剂空白和试液的荧光强度）值提高了9.1倍，且ΔF与BSA含量具有良好的线性关系，据此建立了新型荧光探针荧光猝灭法测定痕量蛋白质的新方法。本方法的线性范围为0.11 ~ 88.0 ag/mL，检出限：22.0 ag /mL BSA，灵敏度很高，并成功用于人血清样品中蛋白含量的测定。同时探讨了新方法的反应机理。在相同条件下，新方法可分别测定BSA、人血清白蛋白(human serum albumin，HAS)、卵蛋白(ovalbumin，OVA )、γ-球蛋白(γ-globulin，γ-G)及血清、脑脊液样品中蛋白质总量。     

A high-throughput homogeneous immunoassay based on Förster resonance energy transfer between quantum dots and gold nanoparticles

A novel homogeneous immunoassay based on Förster resonance energy transfer for sensitive detection of tumor, e.g., marker with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), was proposed. The assay was consisted of polyclonal goat anti-CEA antibody labeled luminescent CdTe quantum dots (QDs) as donor and monoclonal goat anti-CEA antibody labeled gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as acceptor. In presence of CEA, the bio-affinity between antigen and antibody made the QDs and AuNPs close enough, thus the photoluminescence (PL) quenching of CdTe QDs occurred. The PL properties could be transformed into the fluorometric variation, corresponding to the target antigen concentration, and could be easily monitored and analyzed with the home-made image analysis software. The fluorometric results indicated a linear detection range of 1–110 ng mL⁻¹ for CEA, with a detection limit of 0.3 ng mL⁻¹. The proposed assay configuration was attractive for carcinoma screening or single sample in point-of-care testing, and even field use. In spite of the limit of available model analyte, this approach could be easily extended to detection of a wide range of biomarkers.     

Anodic‐Stripping Voltammetric Immunoassay for Ultrasensitive Detection of Low‐Abundance Proteins Using Quantum Dot Aggregated Hollow Microspheres

A new anodic‐stripping voltammetric immunoassay protocol for detection of IgG1, as a model protein, was designed by using CdS quantum dot (QD) layer‐by‐layer assembled hollow microspheres (QDHMS) as molecular tags. Initially, monoclonal anti‐human IgG1 specific antibodies were anchored on amorphous magnetic beads preferably selective to capture F_ab of IgG1 analyte from the sample. For detection, monoclonal anti‐human IgG1 (F_c‐specific) antibodies were covalently coupled to the synthesized QDHMS. In a sandwich‐type immunoassay format, subsequent anodic‐stripping voltammetric detection of cadmium released under acidic conditions from the coupled QDs was conducted at an in situ prepared mercury film electrode. The immunoassay combines highly efficient magnetic separation with signal amplification by the multilayered QD labels. The dynamic concentration range spanned from 1.0 fg mL^?1 to 1.0 μg mL^?1 of IgG1 with a detection limit of 0.1 fg mL^?1. The electrochemical immunoassay showed good reproducibility, selectivity, and stability. The analysis of clinical serum specimens revealed good accordance with the results obtained by an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay method. The new immunoassay is promising for enzyme‐free, and cost‐effective analysis of low‐abundance biomarkers.     

Synthesis of Multifunctional Mn‐Doped CdTe/ZnS Core/Shell Quantum Dots

The synthesis of a novel water‐soluble Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS core‐shell quantum dots using a proposed ultrasonic assistant method and 3‐mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) as stabilizer is descried. To obtain a high luminescent intensity, post‐preparative treatments, including the pH value, reaction temperature, reflux time and atmosphere, have been investigated. For an excellent fluorescence of Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS, the optimal conditions were pH 11, reflux temperature 100°C and reflux time 3 h under N₂ atmosphere. While for phosphorescent Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS QDs, the synthesis at pH 11, reflux temperature 100°C and reflux time 3 h under air atmosphere gave the best strong phosphorescence. The characterizations of Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS QDs were also identified using AFM, IR, powder XRD and thermogravimetric analysis. The data indicated that the photochemical stability and the photoluminescence of CdTe QDs are greatly enhanced by the outer inorganic ZnS shell, and the doping Mn²⁺ ions in the as‐prepared quantum dots contribute to strong luminescence. The strong luminescence of Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS QDs reflected that Mn ions act as recombination centers for the excited electron‐hole pairs, attributing to the transition from the triplet state (⁴T₁) to the ground state (⁶A₁) of the Mn²⁺ ions. All the experiments demonstrated that the surface states played important roles in the optical properties of Mn‐doped CdTe/ZnS core‐shell quantum dots.     

Luminescent Nanoparticles of Silica‐Encapsulated Cadmium–Tellurium (CdTe) Quantum Dots with a Core–Shell Structure: Preparation and Characterization

Water‐soluble thioglycolic acid (TGA)‐capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized in aqueous medium, and then encapsulated in a silica nanosphere by copolymerization of the TGA‐capped CdTe conjugated with (3‐aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APS‐CdTe conjugate), free (3‐aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (=3‐(triethoxysilyl)propan‐1‐amine; APS), and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in a H₂O‐in‐oil reverse microemulsion consisting of Triton X‐100, octanol, cyclohexane, and H₂O in the presence of aqueous NH₃ solution. The characterizations by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and luminescence spectroscopy shows that the luminescent nanoparticles are monodisperse, spherical, and uniform in size, ca. 50 nm in diameter with a regular core–shell structure. In addition, primary amino groups directly introduced to the nanoparticle's surface by using free APS in the nanoparticle preparation enable the nanoparticles to be used easier as a biolabel. The effects of pH and metal cations on the luminescence of the nanoparticles also suggest that the new nanoparticles could be useful probes for luminescent sensings of pH and Cu²⁺ ion.     

Fluorescence enhancement of CdTe/CdS quantum dots by coupling of glyphosate and its application for sensitive detection of copper ion

A novel fluorescent probe for Cu²⁺ determination based on the fluorescence quenching of glyphosate (Glyp)-functionalized quantum dots (QDs) was firstly reported. Glyp had been used to modify the surface of QDs to form Glyp-functionalized QDs following the capping of thioglycolic acid on the core–shell CdTe/CdS QDs. Under the optimal conditions, the response was linearly proportional to the concentration of Cu²⁺ between 2.4 × 10⁻² μg mL⁻¹ and 28 μg mL⁻¹, with a detection limit of 1.3 × 10⁻³ μg mL⁻¹ (3δ). The Glyp-functionalized QDs fluorescent probe offers good sensitivity and selectivity for detecting Cu²⁺. The fluorescent probe was successfully used for the determination of Cu²⁺ in environmental samples. The mechanism of reaction was also discussed.