Fluorescent detection of heparin by a cationic conjugated polyfluorene probe containing aggregation-induced emission units

A novel conjugated cationic polyfluorene containing aminated tetraphenylethene (ATPE) unit is developed as a sensitive and selective fluorescence probe for heparin detection based on the combination of aggregation-induced emissive property of the ATPE units and the FRET process from the blue-emissive polyfluorene segments to the yellow-emissive ATPE units. The addition of anionic heparin will lead to the formation of heparin/polymer complexes, and turn on the aggregation-induced yellow emission of the ATPE units. A good linear relationship is found between the yellow emission intensity of the ATPE units and the heparin concentrations with a limit of detection of 30 nM in aqueous buffer.