An ultrasensitive sensor based on quantitatively modified upconversion particles for trace bisphenol A detection

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the endocrine-disrupting chemicals which might cause reproductive and endocrine system diseases, and poses a serious threat to the ecosystem and human health. This paper reports an ultrasensitive sensor for trace BPA detection employing fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between modified upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and tetramethylrhodamine. To circumvent the problems of low luminous efficiency of FRET and low sensitivity of sensor, the upconversion nanoparticles with very strong fluorescence efficiency were prepared and quantitatively modified. Results showed that the concentrations of amino groups and streptavidin were 43 nmol/mg and 6.12 μg/mg on the surface of the UCNPs, respectively. Under the optimal detection conditions, the peak intensity of UCNPs at 547 nm was linear with the logarithm of the BPA concentration with the detection limit of 0.05 ng/mL. Without complicated pre-processing, the recoveries were in general between 91.0 and 115.0% in tap water, river water, and disposable paper cup water. Therefore, the proposed sensor is suitable for effective sensing of trace BPA in water samples. Graphical abstract ᅟ.