Smartphone-based fluorescence detection of bilirubin using yellow emissive carbon dots

Anal Methods. 2022 May 5;14(17):1730-1738. doi: 10.1039/d1ay02053f.

Abstract

Development of highly sensitive and selective fluorescent probes for biomolecule detection has significant implications in clinical diagnosis and bioanalysis. In this study, yellow emissive carbon dots (Y-CDs, λex 430 nm, λem 550 nm) are synthesized utilizing a one-pot solvothermal approach with o-phenylenediamine (oPDA) as a precursor. The fluorescence of Y-CDs was quenched with the addition of bilirubin due to the inner filter effect mechanism. The fluorescence intensity of Y-CDs decreases as bilirubin concentration increases and can be completely quenched with approximately 90 μM bilirubin. Over other coexisting interferents (26 interferents), the Y-CD probe exhibited great selectivity for bilirubin. More crucially, a smartphone can capture the visible color intensity change of the Y-CD probe under a 365 nm UV lamp and later with the aid of computer software, RGB (red/green/blue) analysis was performed for the quantification of colors. This provides computer vision-based detection and sensitive bilirubin assay with a linear range of 4.0-225 μM and a limit of detection of 1.37 μM. Furthermore, the proposed fluorescent probe was applied in real samples (newborn serum, serum and urine of adults with hyperbilirubinemia) with satisfactory recoveries (96-102%). Based on the validation findings, solution and computer vision-based methods have the potential to be used as fast detection methods for bilirubin in biological samples at the bedside. For the first time, a fluorescent probe based on yellow emissive CDs and RGB analysis for bilirubin recognition has been reported.

MeSH terms

  • Bilirubin
  • Carbon*
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Quantum Dots*
  • Smartphone
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence / methods

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Carbon
  • Bilirubin