Luminescent detection of Ochratoxin A using terbium chelated mesoporous silica nanoparticles

This work represents the time-resolved fluorescence detection of Ochratoxin A (OTA), a highly toxic and commonly found toxin in food stuffs, by a terbium (Tb³⁺) chelated nanoparticle sensor with high sensitivity and remarkable selectivity. The coordination of OTA to Tb³⁺ center on nanoparticle surface resulted in the significant enhancement of the fluorescence signal in nanomolar concentrations with a detection limit of 20 ppb. In contrast, no enhancements were observed in the presence of other common mycotoxins such as Aflatoxin B1, Zearalenone, Citrinin and Patulin. The results indicate that the Tb³⁺ chelated nanoparticle sensor has great potential for applications in food analysis and safety.