A sensitized dual-response ratiometric fluorescent sensor integrated smartphone platform for accurate discrimination and detection of tetracycline homologues based on N-CDs‒Eu3+ complex

Abstract

A sensitized dual-response ratiometric fluorescent sensor integrated smartphone platform for accurate discrimination and detection of tetracycline (TC) homologues was fabricated based on N-CDs-Eu³⁺ complex. In the sensing system, N-CDs act as a sensitizer of Eu³⁺ and significantly enhance the fluorescence of TC-Eu³⁺ complex approximate 40-fold owing to the synergistic effect of antenna effect (AE) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). A paper sensor integrated with a smartphone platform is further fabricated for on-site measurement of TC. The proposed sensing platform exhibits an obvious color change from blue to red with limit of detection (LOD) of 1.5 and 63.2 nM for spectrofluorimetry and paper sensor, respectively. In addition, to eliminate the interference from TC homologues, a simple and effective sensor array was constructed by regulating the pH of the system. The different fluorescence responses to four tetracycline homologues used widely (TC, OTC, CTC, and DOX) were examined and dealt with principal component analysis, and accurate differentiation of TC homologues was therefore achieved. This work provides an integrated method for identification and synchronous quantitative detection of TCs, and a potential application for visual and on-site detection of TCs in environmental monitoring and food safety.

Keywords: Antenna effect; Carbon dots; Principal component analysis; Ratiometric fluorescence; Tetracyclines; Visual detection.