Non-enzymatic Detection of Uric Acid in Serum and Urine by Fluorescent and Visual Dual-Mode Sensor Based on 3-aminophenylboric Acid Functionalized Carbon Dots

Xin Li; Guoqing Chen; Anqi Hu; Yi Xiong; Taiqun Yang; Chaoqun Ma; Lei Li; Hui Gao; Chun Zhu; Yamin Wu; Jiao Gu; Hui Wu; Yan Zhou; Weinan Guan; Wei Zhang

doi:10.1007/s10895-024-03666-0

Non-enzymatic Detection of Uric Acid in Serum and Urine by Fluorescent and Visual Dual-Mode Sensor Based on 3-aminophenylboric Acid Functionalized Carbon Dots

J Fluoresc. 2024 Mar 28. doi: 10.1007/s10895-024-03666-0. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Xin Li^{1

2}, Guoqing Chen^{3

4}, Anqi Hu^{1

2}, Yi Xiong^{1

2}, Taiqun Yang^{1

2}, Chaoqun Ma^{1

2}, Lei Li^{1

2}, Hui Gao^{1

2}, Chun Zhu^{1

2}, Yamin Wu^{1

2}, Jiao Gu^{1

2}, Hui Wu^{1

2}, Yan Zhou^{1

2}, Weinan Guan^{1

2}, Wei Zhang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
² Jiangsu Provincial Research Center of Light Industrial Optoelectronic Engineering and Technology, Wuxi, 214122, China.
³ School of Science, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China. jncgq@jiangnan.edu.cn.
⁴ Jiangsu Provincial Research Center of Light Industrial Optoelectronic Engineering and Technology, Wuxi, 214122, China. jncgq@jiangnan.edu.cn.

PMID: 38538960
DOI: 10.1007/s10895-024-03666-0

Abstract

Herein, we developed a sophisticated dual-mode sensor that utilized 3-aminophenylboric acid functionalized carbon dots (APBA-CDs) to accurately detect uric acid (UA). Our innovative process involved synthesizing APBA-CDs that emitted at 369 nm using a one-step hydrothermal method with 3-aminophenylboric acid and L-glutamine as precursors, ethanol and deionized water as solvents. Once UA was introduced to the APBA-CDs, the fluorescence of the system became visibly quenched. The results of Zeta potential, Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectra, fluorescence lifetime, and other characteristics were analyzed to determine that the reaction mechanism was static quenching. This meant that after UA was mixed with APBA-CDs, it combined with the boric acid function on the surface to form complexes, resulting in a decrease in fluorescence intensity and a blue shift in the absorption peak at about 295 nm in the Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectra. We were pleased to report that we have successfully used the dual-reading platform to accurately detect UA in serum and human urine. It provided a superior quantitative and visual analysis of UA without the involvement of enzymes. We firmly believe that our innovative dual-mode sensor has immense potential in the fields of biosensing and health monitoring.

Keywords: Carbon dots; Dual-mode sensor; Fluorescence; Serum; Uric acid; Urine.