Micellization-induced amplified fluorescence response for highly sensitive detection of heparin in serum

Yeon Jin Jang,Euijin Roh,Hyunuk Kim,Boyun Kim,Seoung Ho Lee

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-66360-8

Yeon Jin Jang, Euijin Roh + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-66360-8

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Abstract

Fluorescence-based assays should be feasible in aqueous media for effectively detecting the biological factors. However, numerous sensors have limited signal transductions and low fluorescence quantum yields due to the ingerently reduced excited state energy of fluorophores in aqueous solution, which reduces their sensitivity. This necessitates a smart sensing approach with an amplified fluorescence response for analytes in aqueous solution. Herein, a new building block which self-assembles in aqueous media, giving a micellar sturcuture with the hydrophobic π-extended conjugated system at the core and hydrophilic groups at the periphery, was devised for the first time. We demonstrated that the aggregated fluorophores in a micelle induce amplified fluorescence quenching, in which the excited electron efficiently migrates through π-extended conjugated system in a micelle, as in a polymeric system. Such feature differentiates this sensing approach from the numerous fluorescence-based tools previously developed for sensitive detection. This new system exhibited highly sensitive signal transduction for specific analytes even under actual bioanalytical conditions.

Highlights

Fluorescence-based assays should be feasible in aqueous media for effectively detecting the biological factors
This observation is consistent with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) results shown in Fig. 1d,e, where both FE-SEM and three-dimensional AFM images of 1 represent micelle-like particles with an average size of 178 nm and 123 nm, respectively
TEM and dynamic light scattering (DLS) results exhibit different average sizes, this study shows that the size of micelles was not concentration dependent either in the solid state or the liquid state (Supplementary Fig. 2 and 3)

Summary

Introduction

Fluorescence-based assays should be feasible in aqueous media for effectively detecting the biological factors. The fluorescence emission spectrum of micellized 1 (5.0 × 10−6 M) above the CMC in aqueous solution exhibits the red-shifted (7 nm) and increased intensity of the peak maximum (385 nm) compared to that in methanol.

Results

Conclusion