Chen Yueru, Yan Zehan, Zhang Dengkai, Zhao Xiaofang, Guo Zongning, Huang Xuelin, Qu Jiangying, Zhang Jing, Wang Yueting, Jiao Zhe
School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan Key Laboratory of Low-carbon and Recycling, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China.
International School of Microelectronics, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China.
Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2026 Jan 5;344(Pt 1):126685. doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2025.126685. Epub 2025 Jul 10.
To achieve highly selective and portable detection of uranyl (UO) in potentially polluted groundwater, a fluorescent detection method based on UO-triggered protein cleavage was established. An aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen), 4-aldehyde-4',4″-bis(4-pyridyl)triphenylamine, (CHO-BIPY-TPA, abbreviated as CBPT), was synthesized and labeled onto bovine serum albumin (BSA). The fluorescence of CBPT-BSA was quenched by UO-triggered covalent bond cleavage and protein fragment release. A linear response was observed in the range of 0.1-12 nM with a LOD of 0.01 nM, significantly outperforming the World Health Organization's drinking water limit (60 nM). Selectivity tests confirmed negligible interference from coexisting metal ions as only UO could triggered protein cleavage. In additon, a portable device was designed for on-site detection of UO in underground water, which exhibited a linear response in the range of 0.1-15 nM with a LOD of 0.06 nM. The spiked recovery rate reached 85-96 % in environmental water samples, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) below 8 %. The study provided a selective and sensitive screening platform for on-site monitoring UO in environmental samples.
