Application of Luminescent Materials for Sensing

A special issue of Chemosensors (ISSN 2227-9040). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials for Chemical Sensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 19485

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Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
Interests: biosensors; electrochemiluminescence; electroanalytical chemistry
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Dear Colleagues,

Owing to the merits of simple manipulation, high sensitivity, selectivity, and real-time functionality, luminescent material sensing technology of has been widely applied in biosensing, clinical diagnosis, food safety and environmental pollution monitoring. Previous reports have proved that luminescent-materials-based sensing technology provides quantitative, multi-component analysis with high sensitivity and high specificity (i.e., more accurate), in addition to being convenient, rapid and economical. The current research on luminescent-materials-based sensing technology mainly includes but is not limited to quantum dots; carbon-based luminescent materials; MOF; AIE; small-molecule fluorophores; and upconversion nanoparticles applied to fluorescence, electrochemiluminescence, and photoelectrochemical sensing.

This Research Topic aims to become a point of reference for the latest advances in the luminescent-material-based sensing technology. We aim to collect research around advances in the areas listed above.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, mini reviews and perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to:

  • Optical/electrochemical sensors.
  • POCT luminescence sensors.
  • Smartphone-based luminescence biosensors.
  • New luminescent materials in sensing applications.
  • Luminescent materials in food safety monitoring.
  • Luminescent materials in environmental analysis.
  • Luminescent materials in the traceability analysis of pathogenic microorganisms.

Prof. Dr. Shounian Ding
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Luminescent materials
  • Ultra-sensitive detection
  • Photoluminescence
  • ECL
  • PEC

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 5671 KiB  
Article
Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Pb2+ Ion Detection Based on a Gradient Boosting Decision Tree Algorithm
by Minghao Wang and Jing Zhang
Chemosensors 2023, 11(9), 509; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors11090509 - 21 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1071
Abstract
Lead pollution poses a serious threat to the natural environment, and a fast and high-sensitivity method is urgently needed. SERS can be used for the detection of Pb2+ ions, which is urgently needed. Based on the SERS spectral reference data set of [...] Read more.
Lead pollution poses a serious threat to the natural environment, and a fast and high-sensitivity method is urgently needed. SERS can be used for the detection of Pb2+ ions, which is urgently needed. Based on the SERS spectral reference data set of lead nitride (Pb(NO3)2), a model for detecting Pb2+ was established by using a traditional machine learning algorithm and the GBDT algorithm. Principal component analysis was used to compare the batch effect reduction in different pretreatment methods in order to find the optimal combination of such methods and machine learning models. The combination of LightGBM algorithms successfully identified Pb2+ from cross-batch data, exceeding the 84.6% balanced accuracy of the baseline correction+ radial basis function kernel support vector machine (BC+RBFSVM) model and showing satisfactory results, with a 91.4% balanced accuracy and a 0.9313 area under the ROC curve. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Luminescent Materials for Sensing)
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16 pages, 1912 KiB  
Article
Development of Chemiluminescent ELISA for Detection of Diisobutyl Phthalate in Water, Lettuce and Aquatic Organisms
by Anna N. Berlina, Maria Y. Ragozina, Daniil I. Gusev, Anatoly V. Zherdev and Boris B. Dzantiev
Chemosensors 2023, 11(7), 393; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors11070393 - 14 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1001
Abstract
The use of plasticizers to improve the quality of plastics widely used for household purposes inevitably leads to an increase in their pollution of food and environmental objects. Diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) is one of the ortho-substituted phthalic acid esters that negatively affect human [...] Read more.
The use of plasticizers to improve the quality of plastics widely used for household purposes inevitably leads to an increase in their pollution of food and environmental objects. Diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) is one of the ortho-substituted phthalic acid esters that negatively affect human health and ecosystems. This work is directed to the development of a chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CL-ELISA) for the determination of diisobutyl phthalate in water and food. Luminol, which is oxidized with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of p-iodophenol as an enhancer, was chosen as the substrate for horseradish peroxidase used as a label in the analysis. For this development, rabbit anti-DiBP polyclonal antibodies were generated and tested with the synthesized hapten–protein conjugate. The developed chemiluminescent ELISA has a detection limit of 1.8 ng/mL; the operating range was 5.0–170.8 ng/mL at a content of 10% methanol in the assay medium. The assay was successfully applied to detect diisobutyl phthalate in lettuce leaves, seafood, and water. When using extraction with methanol and hexane, the recovery of DiBP in samples varies in the range of 76.9–134.2%; for assays in natural waters, the recovery rates are from 79.5 to 113.4%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Luminescent Materials for Sensing)
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16 pages, 2666 KiB  
Article
Quenching of the Photoluminescence of Gold Nanoclusters Synthesized by Pulsed Laser Ablation in Water upon Interaction with Toxic Metal Species in Aqueous Solution
by Tahir, Fernando Lazaro Freire Jr, Ricardo Q. Aucelio, Marco Cremona, Juliana da S. Padilha, Giancarlo Margheri, Quaid Zaman, Guilherme C. Concas, Mariana Gisbert, Sajjad Ali, Carlos A. T. Toloza, Yordy E. Licea, Tatiana D. Saint’Pierre, Rafael S. Carvalho, Rajwali Khan, Gino Mariotto, Nicola Daldosso, Geronimo Perez and Tommaso Del Rosso
Chemosensors 2023, 11(2), 118; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors11020118 - 05 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1789
Abstract
Sensors for the detection of heavy metal ions in water are in high demand due to the danger they pose to both the environment and human health. Among their possible detection approaches, modulation of the photoluminescence of gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) is gaining wide [...] Read more.
Sensors for the detection of heavy metal ions in water are in high demand due to the danger they pose to both the environment and human health. Among their possible detection approaches, modulation of the photoluminescence of gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) is gaining wide interest as an alternative to classical analytical methods based on complex and high-cost instrumentation. In the present work, luminescent oxidized AuNCs emitting in both ultraviolet (UV) and visible (blue) regions were synthesized by pulsed laser ablation of a gold target in NaOH aqueous solution, followed by different bleaching processes. High-resolution electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray scattering confirmed the presence of oxygen and gold in the transparent photoluminescent clusters, with an average diameter of about 3 nm. The potentialities of the bleached AuNCs colloidal dispersions for the detection of heavy metal ions were studied by evaluating the variation in photoluminescence in the presence of Cd2+, Pb2+, Hg2+ and CH3Hg+ ions. Different responses were observed in the UV and visible (blue) spectral regions. The intensity of blue emission decreased (no more than 10%) and saturated at concentrations higher than 20 ppb for all the heavy metal ions tested. In contrast, the UV band emission was remarkably affected in the presence of Hg2+ ions, thus leading to signal variations for concentrations well beyond 20 ppb (the concentration at which saturation occurs for other ions). The limit of detection for Hg2+ is about 3 ppb (15 nmol/L), and the photoluminescence intensity diminishes linearly by about 75% up to 600 ppb. The results are interpreted based on the ligand-free interaction, i.e., the metallophilic bonding formation of Hg2+ and Au+ oxide present on the surface of the UV-emitting nanoclusters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Luminescent Materials for Sensing)
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13 pages, 3939 KiB  
Article
Rapid Gas-Sensing Detection of Carbon Disulfide by a CdS/SnS Nanocomposite-Based Cataluminescence Sensor
by Bai Sun, Guoji Shi, Zhuo Tang, Pengyu Zhang, Yuxian Guo, Shuguang Zhu and Jinyun Liu
Chemosensors 2023, 11(1), 10; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors11010010 - 22 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2028
Abstract
A CdS/SnS nanocomposite was prepared using a simple hydrothermal method and used as a sensitive material for the detection of carbon disulfide (CS2) based on cataluminescence (CTL). The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry [...] Read more.
A CdS/SnS nanocomposite was prepared using a simple hydrothermal method and used as a sensitive material for the detection of carbon disulfide (CS2) based on cataluminescence (CTL). The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that the CdS/SnS nanocomposite sensor has a high sensitivity to CS2 at a relatively low operating temperature (162 °C); the response time is about 3 s, and the recovery time is about 16 s. The modification of CdS effectively enhances the sensitivity of SnS sensors. The CTL intensity shows a good linear relationship at gas concentrations ranging from 6.75 to 168.75 ppm (R2 = 09974), and the limit of detection (LOD) of CS2 reached 0.96 ppm. In addition, the CdS/SnS sensor has excellent selectivity and good stability towards CS2. The mechanism of the sensor is discussed in detail. This research shows that CdS/SnS has great potential for the detection of CS2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Luminescent Materials for Sensing)
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11 pages, 2573 KiB  
Article
Silver-Coated Gold Nanorods as Optical Probes for the Sensitive Detection of Ascorbic Acid in Tablets
by Shuai Wen, Min Huang, Ru Cheng, Jie Gao and Jian Wang
Chemosensors 2022, 10(12), 543; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors10120543 - 18 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1452
Abstract
Ascorbic acid (AA) has been widely used to improve human health since it was first found, such as resisting scurvy, enhancing immunity, and preventing arteriosclerosis. Moreover, it plays a very important role in the anti-oxidation process in the human body. Therefore, it is [...] Read more.
Ascorbic acid (AA) has been widely used to improve human health since it was first found, such as resisting scurvy, enhancing immunity, and preventing arteriosclerosis. Moreover, it plays a very important role in the anti-oxidation process in the human body. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop sensitive and accurate detection methods. In this work, silver-coated gold nanorods (Au@Ag NRs) acted as the optical probe, which could be etched with hydroxyl radicals (·OH) from the Fenton reaction between H2O2 and Fe2+, leading to the blue shift of longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance absorption. However, as a free radical scavenger, AA was able to inhibit the Fenton reaction, resulting in a red shift of plasmon resonance absorption. Based on the change in longitudinal plasma resonance absorption of silver-coated gold nanorods, a linear relationship between the maximum longitudinal absorption wavelength and the concentration of AA was established in the range of 2.5–17.5 μM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.48 μM and a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 1.61 μM, which was feasible to detect AA in tablets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Luminescent Materials for Sensing)
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13 pages, 2340 KiB  
Article
Ultrasensitive Fluorescent “ON-OFF” Label-Free Immunosensor for Detection of Vitellogenin of Marine Medaka
by Chong Qi, Ailing Yang, Huaidong Wang, Zhenzhong Zhang and Jun Wang
Chemosensors 2022, 10(12), 510; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors10120510 - 01 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1223
Abstract
The negative effects of environmental estrogens on wildlife and human beings are gaining increasing attention. Research on the highly sensitive detection method for Vitellogenin (Vtg), one of the biomarkers of environmental estrogens (EEs), is expected to detect weak estrogens in complex environments. This [...] Read more.
The negative effects of environmental estrogens on wildlife and human beings are gaining increasing attention. Research on the highly sensitive detection method for Vitellogenin (Vtg), one of the biomarkers of environmental estrogens (EEs), is expected to detect weak estrogens in complex environments. This study aimed to develop a label-free immunosensor with high specificity and sensitivity for testing Vtg. Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with high fluorescence and excellent stability were synthesized, and antilipovitellin monoclonal antibody (Anti-Lv-mAb) was prepared. Based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between CQDs-conjugated Anti-Lv-mAb and reduced graphene oxide (RGO), an ultrasensitive fluorescent “ON-OFF” label-free immunosensor for detection of Vtg of marine medaka was established. By modification of RGO with poly dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (PDDA), the Zeta potential of RGO was changed and the FRET efficiency was improved. The immunosensor displayed a wide linear response to Vtg of marine medaka from 0.1 to 3000 ng/mL, a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.04 ng/mL, and excellent sensitivity (28,833.63 CPS/(ng/mL)), selectivity, and reproducibility. The results demonstrated that the fluorescent “ON-OFF” immunosensor is an easy-to-use, relatively fast, ultrasensitive, and accurate detection method for weak estrogenic activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Luminescent Materials for Sensing)
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12 pages, 3086 KiB  
Article
A Ratiometric Fluorescence Probe of Dopamine-Functionalized Carbon Nanodots for Hypochlorite Detection
by Wenjing Qi, Lei Chen, Chengpei Du and Yi Wang
Chemosensors 2022, 10(10), 383; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors10100383 - 22 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1213
Abstract
A dopamine-functionalized carbon nanodot (C-dots) ratiometric fluorescence probe for hypochlorite (ClO) detection is reported. Fluorescent C-dots with maximal emission at 420 nm are synthesized via the hydrothermal synthesis of 3-hydroxyphenylboric acid at 160 °C for 8 h. After modified with dopamine [...] Read more.
A dopamine-functionalized carbon nanodot (C-dots) ratiometric fluorescence probe for hypochlorite (ClO) detection is reported. Fluorescent C-dots with maximal emission at 420 nm are synthesized via the hydrothermal synthesis of 3-hydroxyphenylboric acid at 160 °C for 8 h. After modified with dopamine for 5 min, the obtained dopamine-functionalized C-dots exhibit two maximal fluorescence emissions at 420 nm and 460 nm. Fluorescent intensity at 460 nm gets quenched with the addition of ClO and fluorescent intensity at 420 nm is almost unaffected. Therefore dopamine-functionalized C-dots can be used as ratiometric fluorescence probe for highly sensitive detection of ClO. The ratio of fluorescent intensity at 460 nm and 420 nm (I460nm/I420nm) has a linear relationship with the concentration of ClO from 2 μM to 60 μM and limit of detection (LOD) of 0.6 μM. It shows high selectivity for the detection of ClO toward other anions (SO42−, Cl, NO3, S2−, CO32−), metal ions (Mg2+, Ba2+, Ag+, Fe3+, Ca2+, Na+, Cr6+, Cr3+, Hg+), or other substances such as H2O2, glutamate, cysteine, and citric acid. When it is utilized in ClO detection in tap water, the average recoveries are from 95.7% to 103.2% with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) lower than 5%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Luminescent Materials for Sensing)
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13 pages, 3587 KiB  
Article
Folic Acid-Modified Cerium-Doped Carbon Dots as Photoluminescence Sensors for Cancer Cells Identification and Fe(III) Detection
by Jincheng Li, Zengchao Guo, Tengfei Liu, Fangfang Yu, Jiayu Zeng, Ying Zhang, Lihong Yin, Xiaohui Liu, Hui Jiang and Xuemei Wang
Chemosensors 2022, 10(6), 219; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors10060219 - 09 Jun 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2427
Abstract
Carbon dots (CDs) are a new class of carbon-based luminescence materials with fascinating properties. They have been given great expectations on superseding traditional semiconductor quantum dots due to their good dispersity and stability, relatively low toxicity, superior resistance to photobleaching, and excellent biocompatibility. [...] Read more.
Carbon dots (CDs) are a new class of carbon-based luminescence materials with fascinating properties. They have been given great expectations on superseding traditional semiconductor quantum dots due to their good dispersity and stability, relatively low toxicity, superior resistance to photobleaching, and excellent biocompatibility. The diversified luminescence properties of CDs are largely due to the synthetic strategies and precursors. In view of those described above, this study has explored the possibility to establish a facile one-step hydrothermal method for the one-pot synthesis of folic acid-modified cerium-doped CDs (Ce-CDs-FA), which could be further utilized as a sensitive fluorescent nanoprobe for biosensing. This investigation demonstrates that the Ce-CDs-FA nanocomposites have nice biocompatibility and bright fluorescent properties, which can be readily utilized to detect cancer cells through recognizing overexpressing folate receptors by virtue of folic acid. Meanwhile, it is noted that the Fe3+ ion can actualize a specific and hypersensitive quenching effect for these Ce-CDs-FA nanocomposites, which can be further explored for special ion recognition, including iron ions. It raises the possibility that the as-prepared Ce-CDs-FA nanocomposites could be extended as a dual fluorescence sensor for targeted cell imaging and Fe3+ ion detection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Luminescent Materials for Sensing)
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13 pages, 2476 KiB  
Article
Dual-Signal-Encoded Barcodes with Low Background Signal for High-Sensitivity Analysis of Multiple Tumor Markers
by Bo Zhang, Wan-Sheng Tang and Shou-Nian Ding
Chemosensors 2022, 10(4), 142; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors10040142 - 09 Apr 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1973
Abstract
The suspension array technology (SAT) is promising for high-sensitivity multiplexed analysis of tumor markers. Barcodes as the core elements of SAT, can generate encoding fluorescence signals (EFS) and detection fluorescence signals (DFS) in the corresponding flow cytometer channel. However, the bleed-through effect of [...] Read more.
The suspension array technology (SAT) is promising for high-sensitivity multiplexed analysis of tumor markers. Barcodes as the core elements of SAT, can generate encoding fluorescence signals (EFS) and detection fluorescence signals (DFS) in the corresponding flow cytometer channel. However, the bleed-through effect of EFS in the DFS channel and the reagent-driven non-specific binding (NSB) lead to background interference for ultrasensitive assay of multiple targets. Here, we report an ingenious method to eliminate background interference between barcode and reporter using low-background dual-signal-encoded barcodes (DSBs) based on microbeads (MBs) and quantum dots (QDs). The low-background DSBs were prepared via combination strategy of two signals containing scatter signals and fluorescence signals. Three types of MBs were distinguished by the scattering channel of flow cytometer (FSC vs. SSC) to obtain the scattered signals. Green quantum dots (GQDs) or red quantum dots (RQDs) were coupled to the surface of MBs by sandwich immune structure to obtain the distinguishable fluorescent signals. Furthermore, the amount of conjugated capture antibody on the MB’s surface was optimized by comparing the change of detection sensitivity with the addition of capture antibody. The combination measurements of specificity and NSB in SAT platform were performed by incubating the capture antibody-conjugated MBs (cAb-MBs) with individual QD-conjugated detection antibody (QDs-dAb). Finally, an SAT platform based on DSBs was successfully established for highly sensitive multiplexed analysis of six tumor markers in one test, which suggests the promising tool for highly sensitive multiplexed bioassay applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Luminescent Materials for Sensing)
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Review

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35 pages, 12337 KiB  
Review
Fluorescent Probes for Biomacromolecules Based on Monomethine Cyanine Dyes
by Pavel G. Pronkin and Alexander S. Tatikolov
Chemosensors 2023, 11(5), 280; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors11050280 - 07 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2068
Abstract
Monomethine cyanine dyes (MCDs) are widely applied as biomolecular probes and stains in biochemical and biomedical research. This is based on the ability of MCDs to associate with biomolecules (mostly nucleic acids) with significant fluorescent growth. The present review considers the works devoted [...] Read more.
Monomethine cyanine dyes (MCDs) are widely applied as biomolecular probes and stains in biochemical and biomedical research. This is based on the ability of MCDs to associate with biomolecules (mostly nucleic acids) with significant fluorescent growth. The present review considers the works devoted to the properties of MCDs and the influence of noncovalent interactions with biomacromolecules on their properties, as well as their use as noncovalent probes and stains for various biomacromolecules. The synthesis and photonics (photophysics and photochemistry; in particular, the generation of the triplet state) of MCDs are also considered. Areas and prospects of the practical applications of MCDs in biochemistry and biomedicine are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Luminescent Materials for Sensing)
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21 pages, 4111 KiB  
Review
Luminescent Sensors Based on the Assembly of Coinage Metal Nanoclusters
by Chenyu Ren, Tong Shu, Xin Du, Linzhi Yang, Lei Su and Xueji Zhang
Chemosensors 2022, 10(7), 253; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/chemosensors10070253 - 30 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2141
Abstract
Coinage metals, such as Cu, Ag and Au, can form nanoclusters, which, when functionalized with ligands, have unique electronic and optical properties and are widely used in biomedical imaging, remote sensing, labeling, catalytic, etc. The mechanisms, structures and properties of nanocluster assemblies have [...] Read more.
Coinage metals, such as Cu, Ag and Au, can form nanoclusters, which, when functionalized with ligands, have unique electronic and optical properties and are widely used in biomedical imaging, remote sensing, labeling, catalytic, etc. The mechanisms, structures and properties of nanocluster assemblies have been well reviewed. However, the collections and analyses of nanocluster assemblies for sensor application are few. This review examines different nanocluster sensor platforms with a focus on the assembly and analysis of the assembly processes and examples of applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Luminescent Materials for Sensing)
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