Cu-T1 Sensor for Versatile Analysis.

Conventional magnetic sensors usually employ Fe-based magnetic materials as signal probes. In this work, we find that Cu(II) is also a useful longitudinal relaxation time (T1) signal-based magnetic probe. We adopt bathocuproinedisulfonic acid disodium salt hydrate (BCS) to chelate Cu(I) and form a stable Cu(I)-BCS complex in aqueous solution and find the significant difference in the T1 value of water protons between Cu(II) aqueous solution and Cu(I)-BCS complex aqueous solution. Redox reaction can convert Cu(II) to Cu(I) followed by the complexation of BCS, which results in apparent change of T1 that can serve as magnetic signal readout, which is the basis of this Cu-T1 sensor. Many redox reactions between Cu(II) and Cu(I) allow this Cu-T1 sensor to not only realize "one-step mode" assay such as ascorbic acid, protein, and alkaline phosphatase but also enable "multi-step mode" immunoassay, such as biomacromolecules and small molecules. This Cu-T1 sensor employs Cu ion as signal readout, providing an alternative tool for biochemical analysis.