Ratiometric fluorescence for ultrasensitive detection of chlortetracycline in milk matrix based on its blue alkaline degradation product and red-emitting cyclodextrin stabilized gold nanocluster

As an emerging fluorescent nanomaterial, gold nanoclusters are of increasing interest in sensing and imaging because of their stable luminescence properties, large Stokes shift and low toxicity. Here, red-emitting gold nanoclusters stabilized by 6-Deoxy-6-mercapto-β-cyclodextrin ([email protected] NCs) were successfully synthesized based on photo-reduction method for the detection of chlortetracycline. Under alkaline conditions, chlortetracycline transforms into iso-chlortetracycline (iso-CTC), which has a distinct blue fluorescence at 415 nm. The fluorescence intensity at 415 nm changed with increasing concentration of chlortetracycline and inner filter effect (IFE) of [email protected] NCs, while the fluorescence of the gold nanocluster at 670 nm decreased due to the IFE of iso-CTC. This fluorescent system detected chlortetracycline with good linearity in the concentration range of 5 nM-1 μM, and the limit of detection is 2.7 nM. The developed fluorescence sensor and test paper assay had been successfully applied for the detection of chlortetracycline in milk samples. The results demonstrated that the ratiometric sensor has advantages of simplicity, high sensitivity and specificity, cost-effectiveness and ease of operation.