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The quantitative determination of H2S in the blood can provide valid evidence for H2S poisoning through occupational exposure. However, known traditional methods for the detection of H2S in blood are time consuming, require complicated pretreatments, and have low sensitivity. In this paper, a new fluorescence sensing assay is proposed for the rapid detection of H2S poisoning in forensic cases based on bovine serum albumin (BSA)-stabilised zinc/copper (Zn/Cu) bi-metal nanoclusters (Zn/Cu@BSA NCs). The as-prepared Zn/Cu@BSA NCs probes have been characterised by UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence of Zn/Cu@BSA NCs can be quenched through specific interactions between HS−/S2− and the Zn2+/Cu2+ bi-metal ions. Under optimised conditions, the fluorescence sensing method was linear in the concentration range of 2.5 nM to 30 mM with 0.69 nM as the limit of detection. Moreover, the practical feasibility of this fluorescence sensing method has also been demonstrated by the analysis of mice blood samples containing different levels of sulfide and human blood samples from forensic cases of H2S poisoning. Compared with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), this fluorescence sensing method is quite simple, straightforward, and can be accurate for the quantitative determination of H2S poisoning in a few minutes for forensic analysis. Overall, this is the first report of a bi-metal fluorescence sensing assay for detecting H2S poisoning directly in blood. This research may provide a new approach for forensic toxicologists to monitor poisoning by H2S using a fluorescence-sensing method.

A simple and sensitive fluorescent assay is developed for the detection of protein kinase A (PKA) activity based on the selective aggregation of phosphorylated peptide–carbon quantum dots (CQDs) conjugates triggered by Zr4+ ions coordination. The peptide was conjugated onto CQDs through covalent coupling. Under optimized conditions, a linear relationship between the decreases in fluorescence intensity of peptide–CQDs and the PKA concentration in the range from 0.125 to 30 U mL–1 was observed. Moreover, the inhibition effect of H-89 on the activity of PKA was studied, and the results indicated that the proposed method showed potential applications in kinase inhibitor screening.

The ideal immobilization methods that are suitable for binding immunoactive materials with high efficiency onto a sensing surface are the key target to pursue in current biosensor design. In the present paper, the formation of a hydroxyapatite/chitosan (HA/CS) hybrid nanocomposite is described and a general design strategy for immunosensing platforms is proposed on the basis of HA/CS nanocomposite and nanogold particle adsorption of antibodies. A quartz crystal microbalance used as a model transducer and the detection performances of the resulting immunosensor were investigated by using the immuno-system of CA125, an important indicator in the diagnosis of clinical cancers. The hybrid nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy measurements. The frequency response characteristics for the processes of immobilization and immunoreaction of anchored anti-CA125 antibodies were studied in detail. It was found that the developed sensing interface has some advantages, such as activation-free immobilization and high antigen-binding activities of antibodies. The as-prepared immunosensor can allow the determination of CA125 in the concentration range 15.3–440.0 U mL–1. Such an interface design with the hybrid nanocomposite could be tailored as a new alternative used for biosensor design.