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Rapid Response and High Selectivity for Reactive Nitrogen Species Based on Carbon Quantum Dots Fluorescent Probes

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Abstract

Reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are vital signaling molecules involved in most physiological and pathological processes. Within RNS, nitric oxide (NO) and its metabolite nitrite (NO2−) have been widely applied in medicinal, food, and environmental fields. However, at present, the methods of detecting RNS by fluorescence quenching through chemical reactions have disadvantages, such as long reaction time and weak anti-interference ability. In response to these existing problems, we have developed a novel fluorescent probe, namely, carbon quantum dots (CDs) that are passivated by benzylamine. The obtained CDs (named B-CDs) possess excellent down- and upconversion properties. In particular, upconversion is used to sensitively and selectively measure NO and NO2− under different pH conditions in aqueous media via two different mechanisms (static and dynamic quenching). At pH 7.4, the nanomolar concentration of NO, produced from sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in a concentration-dependent manner, can be rapidly detected with a correlation coefficient (R2) greater than 0.99. Similarly, the quantitative detection of NO2− at pH 1.6 also shows a good linear relationship with a linear range of 0–14 μM, and a limit of detection (LOD) that is as low as 43 nM and 0.65 μM at excitation wavelengths of 800 nm and 375 nm, respectively. Notably, this probe stands out due to its extremely short response time and outstanding selectivity and anti-interference ability against a variety of common interfering substances, while realizing the fast and highly selective and sensitive detection of NO and NO2−. Finally, this probe has been successfully applied to the sensing of NO in fetal bovine serum (FBS) samples and NO2− in milk and tap water samples.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their sincere thanks to the Analytical and Testing Centre of Northeast Agricultural University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Chemistry, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China

    Chao Sun, Xiaoqi Gao, Lei Wang & Nan Zhou

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  1. Chao Sun
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  2. Xiaoqi Gao
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  3. Lei Wang
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  4. Nan Zhou
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Correspondence to Nan Zhou.

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Chao Sun declares that she has no conflict of interest. Xiaoqi Gao declares that she has no conflict of interest. Lei Wang declares that he has no conflict of interest. Nan Zhou declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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Supplementary Information

ESM 1

The emission spectra of B-CDs at 740 nm, 760 nm, 780 nm, 800 nm excitation, respectively (PNG 429 kb).

High resolution image (TIF 3308 kb).

ESM 2

The emission spectra of B-CDs, An-CDs, Am-CDs and As-CDs at a 800 nm and b 375 nm (PNG 280 kb).

High resolution image (TIF 3964 kb).

ESM 3

PL decay curves of As-CDs and B-CDs, respectively (PNG 372 kb).

High resolution image (TIF 1965 kb).

ESM 4

The relative FL intensity (F0/F) as a function of pH, inset shows FL emission spectra of B-CDs at different pH values at a 800 nm and b 375 nm excitation, respectively; Photostability under continuous UV irradiation on the relative FL intensity (F0/F) of B-CDs measured at c 800 nm and d 375 nm excitation, respectively (PNG 421 kb).

High resolution image (TIF 5282 kb).

ESM 5

a UV-vis absorption of B-CDs in aqueous solution with adding different concentrations of SNP; b PL decay curves of B-CDs alone and B-CDs with 180 μM SNP (PNG 153 kb).

High resolution image (TIF 6270 kb).

ESM 6

a UV-vis absorption of B-CDs in aqueous solution with adding different concentration of NO2-; b PL decay curves of B-CDs alone and B-CDs with 33 μM NO2-(PNG 390 kb).

High resolution image (TIF 4970 kb).

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Sun, C., Gao, X., Wang, L. et al. Rapid Response and High Selectivity for Reactive Nitrogen Species Based on Carbon Quantum Dots Fluorescent Probes. Food Anal. Methods 14, 1121–1132 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12161-020-01961-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12161-020-01961-7

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