FRET and PET paired dual mechanistic carbon dots approach for tyrosinase sensing

Abstract

A dual mechanistic FRET and PET paired ratiometric fluorescence sensor probe has been prepared using carbon dots and naphthalimide fluorophores. The carbon dots are covalently joined with a naphthalimide moiety to develop the FRET phenomenon, which emits at two different wavelengths (i.e., λmax = 440 and 540 nm). However, on catalytic reaction of tyrosinase, the fluorescence emission intensity of the acceptor unit at 540 nm is quenched gradually, owing to the switching on of the PET mechanism; while emission of the donor unit remains significantly unaffected. The probe exhibits high selectivity and specificity towards tyrosinase in complex biological medium with a detection limit of 1.2 U mL−1. Moreover, endogenous images of tyrosinase in B16 cells have been observed under a confocal laser-scanning microscope.