Ultrasensitive Profiling of Metabolites Using Tyramine-Functionalized Graphene Quantum Dots

• Main Authors: Li, Nan, Than, Aung, Wang, Xuewan, Xu, Shaohai, Sun, Lei, Duan, Hongwei, Xu, Chenjie, Chen, Peng
• Other Authors: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Graphene quantum dots; Metabolite detection; Fluorometric biosensing
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/83504; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/42637
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are emerging fluorescence reporters attractive for optical sensing, owing to their high photostability, highly tunable photoluminescence, molecular size, atomically thin structure, biocompatibility, and ease of functionalization. Herein, we present a fluorometric sensing platform based on tyramine-functionalized GQDs, which is able to detect a spectrum of metabolites with high sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, multiparametric blood analysis (glucose, cholesterol, l-lactate, and xanthine) is demonstrated. This convenient metabolite profiling technique could be instrumental for diagnosis, study, and management of metabolic disorders and associated diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, lactic acidosis, gout, and hypertension.