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Adjustable luminescence copper nanoclusters nanoswitch based on competitive coordination of samarium ions for cascade detection of adenosine triphosphate and acid phosphatase activity

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Abstract

Benefit from the strong coordination property, lanthanide metal ions have been used as competitive reagents to modulate the fluorescence changes of the system. However, lanthanide metal ions as inducers for aggregation-induced emission enhancement in nanosystems is rare. Herein, we report a “turn on–off-on” fluorescent switch for cascade detection of acid phosphatase (ACP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) based on the competitive coordination of samarium ions (Sm3+). Novel copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) with long wavelength emission (614 nm) stabilized by glutathione (GSH) and glycylglycine (Gly-Gly) have been confirmed to have AIE property. With the continuous aggregation of GSH/Gly-Gly CuNCs under the induction of Sm3+, the fluorescence of the system increased to achieve the “turn-on” process. The coordinated behaviour between Sm3+ and GSH/Gly-Gly CuNCs is discussed. Due to the strong metal coordination ability of ATP, the Sm3+ coordinated with the GSH/Gly-Gly CuNCs is competed out, resulting in the fluorescence “turn-off” process of the system. As the substrate of enzymatic hydrolysis of ACP, with the continuous hydrolysis of ATP by ACP, Sm3+ coordinates with GSH/Gly-Gly CuNCs again, which leads to the AIE effect and realize the fluorescence "turn-on" process of the system. This strategy results in ATP linear range of 0.508 ~ 120.0 μM with a detection limit of 0.508 μM (S/N = 3) and ACP linear range of 0.011 ~ 30.0 U·L−1 with a detection limit of 0.011 U·L−1 (S/N = 3). Application to biologic samples was successful.

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Data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this article and its supplementary file.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Young and Middle-aged Teacher Education Research Project of Fujian Province (JAT220256).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Food and Bioengineering, Fujian Provice-Indonesia Marine Food Joint Research and Development Center, Fujian Polytechnic Normal University, Fuqing, 350300, People’s Republic of China

    Xuemin Huang, Yuande Shi & Ruihong Ye

  2. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Analytical Science of Food Safety and Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Analysis and Detection for Food Safety, Eel Farming and Processing, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350108, People’s Republic of China

    Xuemin Huang, Haiyan Chen & Bin Qiu

  3. Rehabilitation Center of Fujian Normal University Hospital, Fuzhou, 350000, Fujian, China

    Rui Huang

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  1. Xuemin Huang
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Huang, X., Chen, H., Huang, R. et al. Adjustable luminescence copper nanoclusters nanoswitch based on competitive coordination of samarium ions for cascade detection of adenosine triphosphate and acid phosphatase activity. Microchim Acta 191, 54 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-023-06138-7

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