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A Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Biosensor Based on Graphene Quantum Dots and Protoporphyrin IX for the Detection of Melamine

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Abstract

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs), which have high photostability, anti-photobleaching and scintillation, good biocompatibility and low toxicity, are important member of the fluorescent material family, and have attracted extensive research interest. In this paper, a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensor based on protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) and GQDs was developed for melamine detection. PpIX was bound to the surface of GQDs to produce self-assembled nanosensors, and a FRET process occurred between GQDs and PpIX. However, due to the combination of melamine and PpIX, the FRET process was shut down in the presence of melamine. The FRET system could quickly and accurately detect melamine with a detection range of 1.0 × 10−8 to 2.0 × 10−6 mol/L based on the fluorescence intensity ratio of PpIX and GQDs, and the detection limit was 3.6 × 10−9 mol/L. This method obtained satisfactory results when it was employed to the determination of melamine in milk samples.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31501564), the central government guides local science and technology development special funds project (No. 2018107005), the Team Support Program for the Taishan Scholar of Blue Industry leading personnel of shandong Province of China (LZBZ2015-19).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Food Science and Technology, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Storage, Processing and Safety Control Technology for Fresh Agricultural and Aquatic Products, Food Safety Key Lab of Liaoning Province, The Fresh Food Storage, Processing Technology Research Institute of Liaoning Provincial Universities, Bohai University, Jinzhou, China

    Gao Xue, Ma Zhiying, Liu Xiuying, Lijun Tang & Li Jianrong

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  1. Gao Xue
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  2. Ma Zhiying
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  3. Liu Xiuying
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  4. Lijun Tang
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  5. Li Jianrong
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Correspondence to Gao Xue or Li Jianrong.

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Xue, G., Zhiying, M., Xiuying, L. et al. A Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Biosensor Based on Graphene Quantum Dots and Protoporphyrin IX for the Detection of Melamine. J Fluoresc 30, 1463–1468 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10895-020-02524-z

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