Pyrophosphate anion (P2 O7 4- , PPi) is considered as a potential biomarker for arthritic diseases because high levels of PPi may result in calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate crystal deposition diseases. In this study, a simple fluorescence method for PPi was demonstrated by organic integration of the efficient fluorescence quenching ability of copper ions to DNA-scaffolded silver nanoclusters and the strong affinity of PPi towards copper ions. This simple fluorescence sensor showed a low detection limit (0.28 μM based on signal/noise = 3) towards the detection of PPi. Practical application of this method was also validated by detection of PPi in the synovial fluid.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.