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A simple and sensitive fluorometric dopamine assay based on silica-coated CdTe quantum dots

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Abstract

A fluorescence assay is described for the fluorometric determination of dopamine (DA). It based on the use of silica-coated CdTe quantum dots (QD@SiO2). These were fabricated through a hydrothermal process. When DA is added to a solution of the QD@SiO2 and then oxidized by oxygen under catalytic action of tyrosinase to form dopamine quinone, the fluorescence of QD@SiO2 (acquired at excitation/emission wavelengths of 310/525 nm) decreases due to an electron transfer quenching processes. The assay has a linear calibration plot in the 0.05 to 30 μM DA concentration range and a 12.5 nM detection limit (at an S/N ratio of 3). The method was applied to the determination of DA in spiked human serum samples.

Schematic presentation of a fluorometric dopamine (DA) assay by using silica-coated CdTe QDs (QD@SiO2). DA is oxidized by oxygen under catalytic action of tyrosinase to form dopamine quinone, and this causes the quenching of fluorescence of QD@SiO2 at excitation/emission wavelengths of 310/525 nm.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21375033, 11674085, 31501568), the Natural Science Fund for Creative Research Groups of Hubei Province of China (Nos. 2011CDA111, 2014CFA015), the Key Project of the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (No. 2015CFA124) and the Program for Excellent Youth Scholars of Innovative Research Team by Hubei Provincial Department of Education (No. T201101).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ministry-of-Education Key Laboratory for the Synthesis and Application of Organic Functional Molecules, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China

    Bei Wang, Miao-miao Chen, Wei Wen, Xiu-hua Zhang & Sheng-fu Wang

  2. Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China

    Miao-miao Chen, Hai-qing Zhang, Wei Wen, Xiu-hua Zhang & Sheng-fu Wang

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  1. Bei Wang
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  2. Miao-miao Chen
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  3. Hai-qing Zhang
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  4. Wei Wen
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  5. Xiu-hua Zhang
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  6. Sheng-fu Wang
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Correspondence to Xiu-hua Zhang.

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Wang, B., Chen, Mm., Zhang, Hq. et al. A simple and sensitive fluorometric dopamine assay based on silica-coated CdTe quantum dots. Microchim Acta 184, 3189–3196 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-017-2270-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-017-2270-8

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