BODIPY-based self-assembled nanoparticles as fluorescence turn-on sensor for the selective detection of zinc in human...

Zinc plays important roles in regulating physiological and pathological processes. Regrettably, mild to moderate zinc deficiency is common worldwide. Hair Zn(2+) concentration, which reflects a zinc storage status, is useful for tracking trends in zinc status within populations. In this work, we report BODIPY-based self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs) as fluorescence turn-on sensor for the selective sensing of Zn(2+) in human hair. The BODIPY monomers (BAN) self-assemble in aqueous medium to form nonfluorescent NPs. In the presence of Zn(2+) ions, the NPs selectively show an obvious turn-on fluorescence change. This selective response of the NPs allows the determination and quantification of Zn(2+) in human hair with a detection limit of 61.3nM. This study demonstrates that the small molecule self-assembled nanoparticle is a versatile and useful tool, and shows great potential for applications in sensing of important analytes in biological systems.