Fluorescence Turn-On Detection of Ascorbic Acid Using a Self-Assembled Lanthanide Polymer Nanoparticle

Area of Science:

• Nanomaterials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Ascorbic acid (AA), or vitamin C, is vital in vivo, with abnormal levels linked to various diseases.
• Accurate detection of AA is crucial for medical diagnosis and assays.
• Lanthanide coordination polymer nanoparticles (Ln-CPs) offer unique optical properties for biomolecule sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize cerium coordination polymer nanoparticles (ATP-Ce-Tris) for AA detection.
• To develop a sensitive and selective fluorescence probe for AA sensing.
• To evaluate the probe's performance in human serum samples for clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of ATP-Ce-Tris nanoparticles via a simple and rapid method.
• Utilizing the fluorescence quenching and restoration mechanism of ATP-Ce-Tris in the presence of Fe³⁺ and AA.
• Construction of a fluorescence probe for quantitative AA detection.

Main Results:

• The synthesized ATP-Ce-Tris nanoparticles exhibited characteristic Ce³⁺ fluorescence peaks.
• A fluorescence probe was successfully developed with high sensitivity for AA detection.
• The probe demonstrated a wide linear range (0.05–500 μM) and a low detection limit (18 nM).
• Effective AA detection was achieved in human serum samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed ATP-Ce-Tris based fluorescence probe offers a highly sensitive and selective method for AA detection.
• This sensing platform shows significant potential for clinical diagnostics and drug screening applications.
• The probe's performance surpasses existing AA sensors in terms of sensitivity.