A novel fluorescent assay for edaravone with aqueous functional CdSe quantum dots

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Cadmium selenide quantum dots (CdSe QDs) are semiconductor nanoparticles with unique optical properties.
• Thiol-capping is a common method to stabilize quantum dots in aqueous solutions.
• Edaravone is a drug used for treating neurological conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, sensitive, and specific quantitative method for edaravone determination.
• To utilize the fluorescence enhancement of thiol-capped CdSe QDs induced by edaravone.
• To investigate the binding mechanism between edaravone and CdSe QDs.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of aqueous thiol-capped CdSe QDs with narrow emission.
• Utilizing fluorescence enhancement of CdSe QDs upon interaction with edaravone.
• Applying a modified Langmuir-type binding isotherm to describe concentration dependence.

Main Results:

• A linear relationship was observed between C/(I-I(0)) and edaravone concentration in the range of 1.45-17.42 microg/mL.
• A low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.15 microg/mL was achieved.
• The fluorescence intensity of CdSe QDs was significantly enhanced by edaravone.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method is simple, rapid, and specific for edaravone determination.
• The interaction follows a modified Langmuir-type binding isotherm, indicating surface binding.
• This method demonstrates the potential of CdSe QDs as fluorescent probes for drug analysis.