Reduced graphene oxide prepared by cold plasma green treatment in liquid phase for fluorescence biosensing of tropomyosin in shrimp

Graphene oxide (GO), renowned for its two-dimensional structure and exceptional fluorescence quenching capabilities, is a preferred choice for the construction of fluorescence biosensors. As the sensitivity demands for these sensors escalate, enhancing the fluorescence quenching performance of GO and reducing background fluorescence become paramount to optimize the sensor sensitivity. In this study, the use of cold plasma (CP) treatment with glucose solution as a reducing agent to refine GO into reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) with optimal fluorescence quenching abilities was explored. The efficacy of CP treatment was comprehensively analyzed, encompassing fluorescence quenching capacity, morphological alterations, and structural composition. The findings revealed that the ideal conditions for achieving r-GO with superior fluorescence quenching were achieved by treating a mixture of 0.5 mg/mL GO and 0.2 g/mL glucose with CP at 100 kV and 1 A for 10 min. Notably, the resulting r-GO demonstrated remarkable performance in the specific detection of tropomyosin in shrimp, achieving a detection limit of 0.0657 μg/mL, demonstrating its potential for highly sensitive biosensing applications.