A fluorescence turn on assay for alkaline phosphatase based on the Cu(2+) catalyzed Fenton-like reaction

A fluorescence turn-on assay was established for ALP (alkaline phosphatase) based on Cu(2+) catalyzed Fenton-like reaction and Graphene Oxide (GO). GO was utilized to quench the fluorescence of fluorescein (FAM) labeled single strand DNA (F-DNA). ALP can remove the phosphate group in sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP), and convert it into reducing ascorbate. Highly reactive hydroxyl radicals (·OH) were generated in the presence of ascorbate and Cu(2+) through the Fenton-like reaction. The reactive radicals generated in situ caused the cleavage of F-DNA into small fragments. When GO was added, the fluorescence emission of the sample without ALP was quenched and fluorescence emission recovered in the presence of ALP. The intensity of the recovered fluorescence was directly related to the concentration of ALP in the assay solution, and a sensitive and selective facile ALP assay is therefore established.