A dual-emission ZIF-based AIE nanoprobe for ratiometric fluorescence combined with colorimetric detection of ATP

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) provides a new direction for fluorescence, but dyes with AIE properties are mostly organic molecules with poor water solubility. Herein, a novel dual fluorescence emitting nanoprobe (named as CCZ) was developed by co-loading blue emitting copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) and yellow emitting curcumin (CUR) into ZIF framework for visual detection of ATP. The prepared CuNCs are featured with good water solubility, bright blue fluorescence, and AIE property. After encapsulation within ZIF-8, CuNCs@ZIF can obviously increase the fluorescence quantum yield (10.15%), fluorescence intensity (4.29 times that of pure CuNCs), and fluorescence stability (only 10% fluorescence decay after seven days sunlight). Based on the stronger coordination between ATP and Zn 2+ , a novel dual fluorescence responsive probe CCZ was constructed by loading curcumin to perform ratio fluorescence combined with colorimetric dual-mode detection of ATP, with the limit of detection (LOD) of 7.5   μM and 0.2   μM, respectively, presenting high specificity for ATP. More interestingly, it could achieve naked eye semi-quantitative sensing of ATP based on the color change, showing great potentials for application in the detection of real samples.