title: Nanostructured polyelectrolyte-based system as a toolbox for metal ions detection.
abstract: The capability of certain heavy metal ions to induce fluorescence decrease by a quenching mechanism suggested us to design and build a sensor potentially tunable for different ions at different concentrations. We propose a quenching-based sensor exploiting a nanostructured architecture in which fluorescent molecules (the sensing probe) are entrapped to recognize a specific analyte (heavy metal ions) through an optical transduction. The polyelectrolyte nanostructured system, named nanocapsule, improves the fluorophore-ion quenching sensitivity allowing a micromolar detection. Furthermore we couple our sensor with an electrical device in order to refine the sensing procedure: the electric field created allows a metal ions spatial gradient, necessary to detect a specific element on a single sample solution, avoiding a comparative analysis with an intensity reference value. Results obtained will show the advantages and the potentialities of our system as a smart toolbox for metal ions detection.
authors: LAMBS-IFOM, MicroScoBio Research Center, Department of Physics (DIFI), University of Genoa, Via Dodecaneso 33, Genoa, Italy. ronzitti@fisica.unige.it
authors: Emiliano
authors: E
authors: Ronzitti
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Caorsi
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Diaspro
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis*; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005453:Fluorescence; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D053769:Nanocapsules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; D053769:Nanocapsules; D003300:Copper; C029892:cupric chloride