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Silica-based functionalized terbium fluorescent nanoparticles were prepared, characterized and developed as a fluorescence probe for antibody labeling and time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay. The nanoparticles were prepared in a water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion containing a strongly fluorescent Tb3+ chelate, N,N,N1,N1-[2,6-bis(3′-aminomethyl-1′-pyrazolyl)phenylpyridine] tetrakis(acetate)-Tb3+ (BPTA-Tb3+), Triton X-100, octanol, and cyclohexane by controlling copolymerization of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and 3-[2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethylamino]propyl-trimethoxysilane (AEPS) with ammonia water. The characterizations by transmission electron microscopy and fluorometric methods show that the nanoparticles are spherical and uniform in size, 45 ± 3 nm in diameter, strongly fluorescent with fluorescence quantum yield of 10% and a long fluorescence lifetime of 2.0 ms. The amino groups directly introduced to the nanoparticle’s surface by using AEPS in the preparation made the surface modification and bioconjugation of the nanoparticles easier. The nanoparticle-labeled anti-human α-fetoprotein antibody was prepared and used for time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay of α-fetoprotein (AFP) in human serum samples. The assay response is linear from 0.10 ng ml-1 to about 100 ng ml-1 with the detection limit of 0.10 ng ml-1. The coefficient variations (CVs) of the method are less than 9.0%, and the recoveries are in the range of 84–98% for human serum sample measurements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The presence of the carbon dots (C-dots) in food is a hotly debated topic and our knowledge about the presence and the use of carbon dots (C-dots) in food is still in its infancy. We report the finding of the presence of photoluminescent (PL) C-dots in commercial Nescafe instant coffee. TEM analysis reveals that the extracted C-dots have an average size of 4.4nm. They were well-dispersed in water and strongly photoluminescent under the excitation of ultra-violet light with a quantum yield (QY) about 5.5%, which were also found to possess clear upconversion PL properties. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization demonstrates that the C-dots contain C, O and N three elements with the relative contents ca. 30.1, 62.2 and 7.8%. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicates that the C-dots are amorphous. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were employed to characterize the surface groups of the C-dots. The C-dots show a pH independent behavior by varying the pH value from 2 to 11. The cytotoxicity study revealed that the C-dots did not cause any toxicity to cells at a concentration as high as 20mg/mL. The C-dots have been directly applied in cells and fish imaging, which suggested that the C-dots present in commercial coffee may have more potential biological applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]