Fluorescent detection of uric acid through photoinduced electron transfer using luminol-terbium(III) nanoparticles synthesized via aggregation-induced fluorescence strategy

Lanthanide coordination nanoparticles terbium(III) (Tb 3+ )-based fluorescent nanoparticles (luminol-Tb NPs) are synthesized via aggregation-induced fluorescence strategy. Fluorescence of luminol-Tb NPs is enhanced nearly 40 times compared with luminol, which is the effect of aggregation-induced fluorescence by Tb 3+ . Luminol-Tb NPs with high fluorescence is utilized in fluorescent “turn-off” detection of uric acid (UA) within 1 min from 0.1 to 50 μM with the limit of detection (LOD) of 28 nM. The fluorescence quenching effect may be ascribed to photoinduced electron transfer occurs from luminol-Tb NPs to UA. This fluorescent method exhibits high selectivity in UA detection towards metal ions, glucose, ascorbic acid , dopamine, creatinine, urea and cysteine. When it is also applied in detection of UA in serum samples, 5 μM, 10 μM and 30 μM UA are respectively added to serum samples and recoveries range from 97.5% to 101.3% in serum samples. It demonstrates the practical value of luminol-Tb NPs for UA detection in serum.