ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

The ratiometric fluorescent detection of anthrax spore biomarker based on functionalized silicon nanodots

Li Xu, Ya-Nan Zhang, Xing-Hu Ji, and Zhi-Ke He

Wuhan University, Wuhan, China

E-mail: zhkhe@whu.edu.cn

Abstract: Silicon nanodots (SiNDs) as an excellent fluorescent nanomaterial have got more and more applications. In this work, the terbium-modified silicon nanodots (SiNDs-Tb) were synthesized and successfully applied to the detection of dipicolinic acid (DPA), a biomarker of anthrax spores. Here, SiNDs serve as scaffolds and a fluorescence reference (F₄₄₅), coordinating with Tb³⁺ ions, while terbium ions as specific recognition elements and response signals (F₄₉₀ and F₅₄₇) with zero background fluorescence. The sensing process was easily operated in aqueous media and can be finished in a short time. With a concentration range of 0.2–10 μM of DPA, the fluorescence intensity ratio (F₅₄₇/F₄₄₅) correspondingly generated quantitative changes and the limit of detection was 24 nM. It is a rapid and sensitive sensing system and provides a new approach for full exploitation of SiNDs in fluorescence assay.

Keywords: SiNDs-Tb ; Anthrax spores ; Ratiometric fluorescence ; Dipicolinic acid ; Sensor 

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-019-00733-w

Chemical Papers 73 (7) 1753–1759 (2019)