A novel colorimetric and fluorometric probe for biothiols based on MnO2 NFs-Rhodamine B system

• Published in: Analytica chimica acta Vol. 1127; pp. 39 - 48
• Main Authors: Xue, Hanyue, Yu, Min, He, Kunyi, Liu, Yingnan, Cao, Yuanyuan, Shui, Yuhang, Li, Jing, Farooq, Muhammad, Wang, Li
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 29.08.2020
• Subjects: Biomodal ratiometric probe; Cysteine; Glutathione; Homocysteine; Redox reaction; Biomodal ratiometric probe; Cysteine; Homocysteine; Glutathione; Redox reaction
• ISSN: 0003-2670; 1873-4324
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2020.06.039

Herein, a novel bimodal ratiometric probe for sensitive and selective detection of biothiols (including glutathione (GSH), cysteine (Cys) and homocysteine (Hcys)) was constructed, which was based on the redox reaction between manganese dioxide nanoflakes (MnO2 NFs) and rhodamine (RhB) and biothiols. When MnO2 NFs was added into RhB solution, RhB was oxidized to a series of derivatives, accompanying with the colorimetric color changing from purple to light pink and fluorescence changing from red to green. In the presence of GSH, Cys or Hcys, they could reduce MnO2 NFs to Mn2+, thereby preventing the following oxidization of RhB and the corresponding color and fluorescence changes. The absorption intensity ratio and fluorescence intensity ratio showed good linear relationships with the concentrations of biothiols. The colorimetric detection limits for GSH, Cys and Hcys were 0.057 μM, 0.140 μM and 0.087 μM, respectively. And the fluorescence detection limits were 0.177 μM, 0.282 μM and 0.161 μM. More importantly, this probe was successfully applied to monitor the concentration of GSH/Cys/Hcys in human serum samples, with satisfactory recovery. Thus, this MnO2 NFs-RhB platform can potentially be a candidate for the detection of biothiols. [Display omitted] •A bimodal ratiometric probe based on RhB and MnO2 nanoflakes was fabricated.•This probe utilized the redox reactions between MnO2 nanoflakes and RhB and biothiols.•It had a high sensitivity and a low detection limit.•It was applied in detecting biothiols in serum sample with satisfactory recoveries.•It can be used for detection biothiols with naked eyes under daylight and UV lamp.