Rapid and visual detection of folic acid via supramolecular recognition with a perylene bisimide probe in aqueous media

In this report, we have established a novel approach for the rapid detection of folic acid (FA) with a water soluble perylene bisimide-based probe in 100% aqueous media. The sensing performance and mechanism of this probe were investigated systematically using spectroscopic techniques. After optimizing conditions, the limit of detection in this assay is as low as 29.2 nmol/L and linear operation range is from 0.1 to 1.2 μmol/L. It relies on the supramolecular recognition between the probe and FA under the synergistic effects of non-covalent interactions such as electrostatic, hydrophobic and π−stacking interactions. Monitoring the FA concentrations in real-world samples is also confirmed.