Combining fluorescent quantum dots with transition metal oxide shell as core-shell nanocomposite for turn-on sensing of ascorbic acid

Yibing Liu; Guoying Sun; Pinyi Ma; Daqian Song

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2024.125687

Combining fluorescent quantum dots with transition metal oxide shell as core-shell nanocomposite for turn-on sensing of ascorbic acid

Talanta. 2024 May 1:271:125687. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.125687. Epub 2024 Jan 19.

Authors

Yibing Liu¹, Guoying Sun², Pinyi Ma³, Daqian Song⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemistry and Life Science, Changchun University of Technology, Yanan Street 2055, Changchun, 130012, China.
² School of Chemistry and Life Science, Changchun University of Technology, Yanan Street 2055, Changchun, 130012, China; Advanced Institute of Materials Science, Changchun University of Technology, Yanan Street 2055, Changchun, 130012, China.
³ College of Chemistry, Jilin Province Research Center for Engineering and Technology of Spectral Analytical Instruments, Jilin University, Qianjin Street 2699, Changchun, 130012, China. Electronic address: mapinyi@jlu.edu.cn.
⁴ College of Chemistry, Jilin Province Research Center for Engineering and Technology of Spectral Analytical Instruments, Jilin University, Qianjin Street 2699, Changchun, 130012, China. Electronic address: songdq@jlu.edu.cn.

PMID: 38271843
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.125687

Abstract

Ascorbic acid (AA) is an essential vitamin in humans, and numerous AA detection studies have been conducted. Most quantum dots (QDs)-based approaches depend on redox reactions involving AA, and they require the introduction of an intermediate (e.g., metal ions, OPD, TMB) or the assembly of fluorescent substances with nanosheets (such as MnO₂) that can be degraded by AA. These methods are complex, unstable, and are susceptible to interferences. To address these problems, a core-shell fluorescence probe was developed for turn-on sensing of AA. The transition metal oxide shell FeOOH was generated around the surface of CuInZnS QDs to quench the fluorescence. In the presence of AA, the FeOOH shell was decomposed into Fe²⁺ and the fluorescence of QDs was recovered. Using a physical shell, the obtained nanocomposite realized direct AA detection, avoiding the effects of interfering substances caused by QDs exposure. Moreover, our probe showed great potential in point-of-care tests and was readily adapted for use as a smartphone-assisted paper sensor.

Keywords: Ascorbic acid; Core-shell nanocomposite; FeOOH; Fluorescence probe; Quantum dots.