Amino-Acid-Encoded Supramolecular Self-Assembly Architectures: Near-Infrared Fluorescence-Photothermal Temperature Dual-Signal Sensing of Hydrogen Peroxide

Detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is important for maintaining human health and environmental safety because an abnormal intake of H2O2 can lead to serious pathological conditions. However, reported fluorescent probes are still limited to the visible region, and complementarity with other detection modes to further ensure reliable detection results and readable signal output has not been attempted. Herein, we modulated the self-assembly process of linear tripeptides and nonpeptide biomolecules by means of amino acid encoding, including supramolecular morphology and energy conversion pathways, to obtain self-assembled peptide architectures that combine high fluorescence brightness and comparable photothermal properties. Using this peptide self-assembler as a signal carrier, near-infrared fluorescence-photothermal temperature dual-signal detection of H2O2 was achieved for the first time with the assistance of gold nanoparticles, with limits of 0.16 mu M for near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence detection and 12.0 mu M for photothermal detection. Furthermore, the electrostatic spinning technique was used to deposit the conjugate onto cellulose acetate membranes, which facilitated portable fluorescence imaging sensing of H2O2 in real samples. This work not only develops the first NIR fluorescent-photothermal temperature sensor targeting H2O2 but also demonstrates an organizational approach using biocompatible peptides as building blocks, pushing nanotechnologies toward a greener and sustainable development path.