Bionanosensor based on N-doped graphene quantum dots coupled with CoOOH nanosheets and their application for in vivo analysis of ascorbic acid

Abstract

Herein, we employ 3D nitrogen-doped porous graphene frameworks (NPG) as raw material to prepare emissive nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots (r-NGQDs) via chemical oxidation method. The as-prepared fluorescent r-NGQDs was integrated with CoOOH nanosheets to construct a sensing platform for in vivo ascorbic acid (AA) analysis. Initially, the fluorescence emission intensity of r-NGQDs was quenched by CoOOH nanosheets based on the inner filter effect (IFE). Then the quenched intensity of r-NGQDs and CoOOH nanosheets system was enlightened by addition of AA, since AA could consume CoOOH nanosheets through redox reaction, leading to the release of r-NGQDs and fluorescence restoration. Moreover, the restored fluorescence intensity of r-NGQDs is highly dependent on the concentration of AA which endows them as a quantitative analysis of AA with a limit of detection (LOD) reach up to1.85 μM (n = 3) in aqueous solution. Finally, the as constructed bionanosensor was further employed for in vivo analysis of AA in living rat brain microdialysate with basal value up to 9.4 ± 1.4 μM (n = 3).