A convenient and label-free fluorescence "turn off-on" nanosensor with high sensitivity and selectivity for acid phosphatase.

In this study, we reported a convenient label-free fluorescence nanosensor for rapid detection of acid phosphatase on the basis of aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) and enzymolysis approach. The selectivity nanosensor was based on the fluorescence "turn off-on" mode, which possessed high sensitivity features. The original strong fluorescence intensity of CuInS2 QDs was quenched by sodium hexametaphosphate (NaPO3)6. The high efficiency of the quenching was caused by the non-covalent binding of positively charged CuInS2 QDs to the negatively charged (NaPO3)6 through electrostatic interactions, aggregating to form a CuInS2 QDs/(NaPO3)6 complex. Adding acid phosphatase caused intense fluorescence of CuInS2 QDs/(NaPO3)6 to be recovered, and this was because of enzymolysis. (NaPO3)6 was hydrolyzed into small fragments and the high negative charge density decreased, which would weaken the strong electrostatic interactions. As a result, the quenched fluorescence "turned on". Under the optimum conditions, there was a good linear relationship between I/I0 (I and I0 were the fluorescence intensity of CuInS2 QDs/(NaPO3)6 system in the presence and absence of acid phosphatase, respectively) and acid phosphatase concentration in the range of 75-1500 nU mL(-1) with the detection limit of 9.02 nU mL(-1). The proposed nanosensor had been utilized to detect and accurately quantify acid phosphatase in human serum samples with satisfactory results.