Ratiometric luminescence detection of HO in food samples using a terbium coordination polymer sensitized with 3-carboxyphenylboronic acid.

A ratiometric luminescent probe was fabricated using adenosine monophosphate (AMP) as a bridging ligand and 3-carboxyphenylboronic acid (3-CPBA) as the sensitizer and functional ligand that allowed the probe to recognize hydrogen peroxide (HO). The probe was labeled AMP-Tb/3-CPBA. Adding HO caused the nonluminescent 3-CPBA to be converted into 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, which strongly luminesces at 401 nm. This meant that adding HO decreased the AMP-Tb/3-CPBA luminescence intensity at 544 nm and caused luminescence at 401 nm. The 401 and 544 nm luminescence intensity ratio (I/I) was strongly associated with the HO concentration between 0.1 and 60.0 μM, and the detection limit was 0.23 μM. Dual emission reverse-change ratio luminescence sensing using the probe allowed environmental effects to be excluded and the assay to be very selective. We believe that the results pave the way for the development of new functionalized lanthanide coordination polymers for use in luminescence assays.