Naphthalimide-based optical turn-on sensor for monosaccharide recognition using boronic acid receptor

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Accurate determination of monosaccharides like fructose is crucial in biological and medical diagnostics.
• Existing detection methods may lack sensitivity, selectivity, or require complex procedures.
• Development of rapid, selective, and sensitive optical sensors is an ongoing research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly selective and sensitive fluorescent sensor for fructose detection.
• To utilize a novel naphthalimide dye and graphene oxide (GO) for optical sensing.
• To validate the sensor's performance in biological matrices such as human plasma.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a naphthalimide dye with a planar structure acting as a selectophore.
• Integration of the dye with graphene oxide (GO) nanoplatelets as a fluorescence quencher.
• Optimization of sensor conditions (e.g., pH 7.4) and evaluation of response range and limit of detection.
• Testing selectivity against other monosaccharides and application in human plasma samples.

Main Results:

• The developed sensor demonstrated high selectivity for fructose over other monosaccharides.
• A linear response range from 7 × 10^-5 to 3 × 10^-2 M was observed.
• A low limit of detection (LOD) of 23 × 10^-6 M was achieved.
• Satisfactory results were obtained when applying the sensor to determine fructose in human plasma.

Conclusions:

• A novel fluorescent sensor based on a naphthalimide dye and GO provides a sensitive and selective method for fructose determination.
• The sensor's ability to function effectively in human plasma highlights its potential for diagnostic applications.
• This approach offers a promising platform for the development of advanced optical sensors for biologically relevant analytes.