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“Turn-off” sensing probe based on fluorescent gold nanoclusters for the sensitive detection of hemin

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Abstract

Balanced level of hemin in the body is fundamentally important for normal human organ function. Therefore, environmentally benign, stable, and fluorescent metal nanoclusters (NCs) for selective and sensitive detection of hemin have been investigated and reported. Herein, highly orange red emissive gold NCs are successfully synthesized using glutathione as a reducing and stabilizing agent (GSH-Au NCs). The clusters are characterized using various techniques like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectrometer. The fluorescence intensity of as-synthesized Au NCs strongly quenched upon addition of different concentrations of hemin. The decrease in fluorescence intensity of GSH-Au NCs has been applied for determination of hemin concentration in the linear range from 1 to 25 nM with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.43 nM. The method was also successfully applied for quantification of hemin in human serum sample. In view of this reality, the system can be considered as a possible strategy and excellent platform for determination of hemin in various areas of application.

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Funding

This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21575134, 21633008, 21773224), National Key Research and Development Plan (2016YFA0203200), K. C. Wong Education Foundation, Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Province (2019GXNSFGA245003), and Chinese Government Scholarship under China Scholarships council (CSC).

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, Jilin, China

    Shemsu Ligani Fereja, Zhongying Fang, Ping Li, Jinhan Guo, Tadesse Haile Fereja & Wei Chen

  2. University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, China

    Shemsu Ligani Fereja, Zhongying Fang, Ping Li, Jinhan Guo, Tadesse Haile Fereja & Wei Chen

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  1. Shemsu Ligani Fereja
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  2. Zhongying Fang
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Correspondence to Wei Chen.

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Fereja, S.L., Fang, Z., Li, P. et al. “Turn-off” sensing probe based on fluorescent gold nanoclusters for the sensitive detection of hemin. Anal Bioanal Chem 413, 1639–1649 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-020-03126-1

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