Gold nanoparticles-mediated ratiometric fluorescence aptasensor for ultra-sensitive detection of Abscisic Acid

Herein, a novel ratiometric aptasensor based on carbon quantum dots@2-Methylimidazole zinc salt (CQDs@ZIF-8) and aptamer-functionalized gold nanoparticles (Apt-AuNPs) was developed for highly sensitive detection of ABA by fluorescence spectrometry. The CQDs@ZIF-8 nanomaterials displayed dual-emission properties at 490 nm and 657 nm with excitation at 420 nm were synthesized for the first time. ZIF-8 not only served as an anchor point for CQDs but also acted as a modulator to regulate fluorescence signals of CQDs. Interestingly, introduction of ZIF-8 changed the quenching properties of the AuNPs on CQDs. The AuNPs quenched the fluorescence of CQDs@ZIF-8 at 490 nm but not at the second peak of 657 nm. Few studies have been reported on the ineffectiveness of AuNPs in fluorescence quenching as far as we know. In this study, we found that incorporation of ABA triggered the aggregation of AuNPs due to the specific ABA-aptamer recognition and this changed the fluorescence intensity of the ratiometric probe (CQDs@ZIF-8@Apt-AuNPs). The proposed probe increased the sensitivity and selectivity of determining ABA levels in rice seeds in the range of 0.100–150 ng/mL with an LOD of 30.0 ng/L. Importantly, the method proposed here offers a new unique strategy for the construction of ratiometric probes and ultra-sensitive measurement of biomolecules.