Luminescent Gold Nanoclusters Stabilized by Protein as Nanosensors for the Detection of Doxorubicin

Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) are of great interest due to their intense size-dependent luminescence, large Stokes shift, photostability, and biocompatibility. In this work, bovine serum albumin stabilized AuNCs were successfully synthesized using a one-step synthesis at atmospheric pressure. The influence of the precursor ratio on the optical properties of AuNCs was assessed. The possibility of detecting the anticancer drug doxorubicin due to static quenching of AuNC luminescence was demonstrated. The detection limit for doxorubicin was determined to be 7 μM. The applicability of the developed nanosensor for the detection of doxorubicin in human blood plasma corresponds to a high recovery of 94‒98% and a standard deviation of less than 15%. The proposed approach for the determination of doxorubicin using the developed luminescent nanosensor without the use of additional linkers, reagents, or preparation steps is a promising initiative for monitoring anticancer drugs in human biofluids. This will allow the medical treatment protocol to be adjusted to reduce the negative impact of doxorubicin on the patient’s health.