Engineering an upconversion fluorescence sensing platform with “off–on” pattern through specific DNAzyme-mediated signal amplification for supersensitive detection of uranyl ion

An upconversion fluorescence sensing platform was developed with upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as energy donors and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as energy acceptors, based on the FRET principle. They were used for quantitative detection of uranyl ions (UO 2 2+ ) by amplifying the signal of the hybrid chain reaction (HCR). When UO 2 2+ are introduced, the FRET between AuNPs and UCNPs can be modulated through a HCR in the presence of high concentrations of sodium chloride. This platform provides exceptional sensitivity, with a detection limit as low as 68 pM for UO 2 2+ recognition. We have successfully validated the reliability of this method by analyzing authentic water samples, achieving satisfactory recoveries (89.00%–112.50%) that are comparable to those of ICP-MS. These results indicate that the developed sensing platform has the capability to identify trace UO 2 2+ in complex environmental samples. Graphical abstract