Highly sensitive and biocompatible Tyrosinase sensor based on one-step synthesis of carbon dots

Abstract

Melanoma poses a great threat to human health. However, the typical methods of early diagnosis and real-time detection are still challenged due to low sensitivity and complicated operations. Tyrosinase (TYR) is a key biomarker in melanoma development. Currently, few methods based on rapid real-time detection of TYR are available. Rapid detection methods using carbon dots (CDs) as fluorescent probes are emerging. Here, we developed an optimal synthetic route for the preparation of DA-CDs that showed a good response to TYR in water, cell lysates, and mice serum samples. The generation of our DA-CDs did not require crosslinker and other adjuvants. It only required appropriate proportions of citric acid (CA) and dopamine (DA), and 330 s of microwave-assisted heating. Our design greatly shortened the synthetic time of DA-CDs and applies it to the rapid and sensitive detection of TYR for the first time. The linearity response for TYR was within the concentration range from 0.2 U/mL to 5 U/mL. In addition, the synthetic DA-CDs exhibited good biosafety in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, our DA-CDs have the potential to be mass-produced for TYR detection.