Sensitive and selective turn off-on fluorescence detection of heparin based on the energy transfer platform using the BSA-stabilized Au nanoclusters/amino-functionalized graphene oxide hybrids

Abstract

An ultra-sensitive and selective turn off-on fluorescence detection of heparin based on the energy transfer in the BSA-stabilized gold nanoclusters/amino-functionalized graphene oxide (BSA-AuNCs/NH2-GO) hybrids was successfully realized. The BSA-AuNCs containing amounts of carboxyl groups could be absorbed on the surface of NH2-GO through the electrostatic interaction, which resulted in the fluorescence quenching of BSA-AuNCs with high efficiency. However, heparin, possessing high density of negative charge, could compete with BSA-AuNCs to bind NH2-GO and block the energy transfer from BSA-AuNCs to NH2-GO. The fluorescence recovery of BSA-AuNCs was closely related to the amount of heparin and there was a good linear relationship between fluorescence recovery of BSA-AuNCs and heparin over the range of 100ng/mL to 30μg/mL with a detection limit of 40ng/mL. What's more, the fluorescence assay was successfully applied for heparin sensing in human serums and intracellular imaging.