Construction of a reaction-based fluorescent sensor for tandem detection of Cu2+ and glutathione in wine

The purpose of this study was to develop a novel reaction-based fluorescent sensor for the detection of Cu 2+ and glutathione in real wine samples. The sensor, tris-(2-pyridyl)-methylamine rhodol derivative, was synthesized and validated for the tandem and selective detection of both Cu 2+ and glutathione. The sensor exhibited a strong linear correlation between fluorescence intensity and Cu 2+ concentration ranging from 100 to 900 nM, while the in situ generated Cu 2+ ensemble selectively detected glutathione with a robust linear response from 3 to 30 μM. The detection limits for Cu 2+ and glutathione were as low as 28 nM and 0.60 μM, respectively. Additionally, the sensor enabled quantitative detection of Cu 2+ and glutathione in real wine samples. This work provides the first reaction-based fluorescence sensor with an “on-off-on” fluorescence response for the tandem detection of Cu 2+ and glutathione in wine, offering potential applications in food and beverage quality control.