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Fluorescent turn-on detection of cysteine using a molecularly imprinted polyacrylate linked to allylthiol-capped CdTe quantum dots

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Abstract

CdTe quantum dots capped with thioglycolic acid (TGA) display a strong turn-on fluorescence response if exposed to solutions of cysteine (Cys). In order to exploit this effect, a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for Cys was covalently linked to the QDs via allyl mercaptan. The resulting nanomaterials (QDs, MIP-coated QDs, and nonimprint-coated QDs) were characterized by FTIR and scanning electron microscopy. The adsorption of Cys was studied in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) with respect to equilibration times (5, 15, and 40 min, respectively), binding constants [2.98, 2.42, and 0.96 (×104 M−1)], and Langmuir isotherms (R2 = 0.9995, 0.9999, and 0.9983) in the Cys concentration range between 3.33 μM to 500 μM. The method has a detection limit of 0.85 μM (3σ, blank, for n = 10). The selectivity of the MIP-coated QDs for Cys over 19 other amino acids is similar to that of bare QDs, but MIP-QDs afford better recoveries of Cys from solutions also containing bovine serum albumin (90 %) and fetal bovine serum (97 %), respectively, when compared to the recoveries that are obtained with bare (non-imprinted) QDs (135 % and 120 %). This is probably due to the fact that the outer MIP shell largely reduces protein wrapping, dot aggregation, and matrix inclusion.

Using the turn-on fluorescence detection of cysteine template, quantum dots (QDs) conjugated with MIP via allyl mercaptan were synthesized in a one-pot polymerization and exhibited a higher binding selectivity in the presence of serum matrices compared to bare QDs and non-imprinted polymer-QDs.

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Acknowledgments

Support for this work by the National Science Council of Taiwan under Grant no. NSC–101–2113–M–039–001–MY3 and the China Medical University under Grant no. CMU101–S–11 is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, No. 91 Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan

    Jian-Lian Chen

  2. Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan

    Mu-Rong Chao

  3. Department of Occupational Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 402, Taiwan

    Mu-Rong Chao

  4. Department of Public Health, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan

    Chiung-Wen Hu

  5. Department of Family and Community Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 402, Taiwan

    Chiung-Wen Hu

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  1. Mu-Rong Chao
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Correspondence to Jian-Lian Chen.

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Chao, MR., Hu, CW. & Chen, JL. Fluorescent turn-on detection of cysteine using a molecularly imprinted polyacrylate linked to allylthiol-capped CdTe quantum dots. Microchim Acta 181, 1085–1091 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-014-1209-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-014-1209-6

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