Polydopamine nanodots-based cost-effective nanoprobe for glucose detection and intracellular imaging

The cellular glucose detection remains a vital topic, which could provide some essential information about the glucose-based pathological and physiological processes. In this study, a smart polydopamine nanodots-based cost-effective fluorescence turn-on nanoprobe (denoted as PDA-Ag-GOx) for intracellular glucose detection is established. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are directly formed in one step by the reduction of fluorescent polydopamine nanodots (PDADs) which have much phenolic hydroxyls on the surface. The fluorescence of PDADs could be quenched by AgNPs through surface plasmon-enhanced energy transfer (SPEET) from donor PDADs to acceptor AgNPs. Glucose oxidase (GOx) is modified on the PDA-Ag NPs by covalent bond. In the presence of glucose, GOx could catalyze glucose to produce H₂O₂ and gluconic acid. The generated acid and H₂O₂ would degrade AgNPs into Ag⁺, the PDADs release and restore its fluorescence. The proposed nanoprobe has some advantages, such as cost-effective, easy preparation, and excellent selectivity toward glucose, which could be successfully utilized to intracellular glucose imaging. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].