Fluorescence sensor array for highly sensitive pattern recognition of biothiols in food based on tricolor upconversion luminescence metal-organic frameworks

Abstract

Fluorescence nanomaterial sensors have exhibited excellent application potential in biothiols analyses. The fluorescence sensor arrays constructed from upconversion luminescence metal-organic frameworks nanocomposites (LMOFs) can provide impressive discrimination and exquisite fingerprinting capabilities for extremely similar analytes. Herein, an upconversion fluorescence sensor array based on LMOFs featuring UiO-type metal-organic frameworks-functionalized lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles was proposed, wherein Cu 2+ can make the fluorescence quenching of LMOFs and preferentially bind biothiols to recover fluorescence in different degrees forming unique fingerprinting. The fluorescence sensor array displayed an excellent pattern recognition for five biothiols (glutathione, homocysteine, N-acetylcysteine, and L/D-cysteine) even at 50 µM by linear discriminant analysis, and the discernment for the enantiomers of L/D-cysteine, as well as the accurate identification (90.0% accuracy) of biothiols in food samples (tea beverage and white wine). Such fluorescence sensor array might provide a simple and efficient detection method for biothiols. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12951-024-03014-1.