A highly selective turn-on ATP fluorescence sensor based on unmodified cysteamine capped CdS quantum dots

•Used unmodified cysteamine capped CdS QDs as a selective sensor for ATP.•Turn-on fluorescence sensors in 100% aqueous solution.•Excellence discrimination of pyrophosphate from ATP detection.•Very low LOD of 17 μM can be obtained.•The sensor can be used to determine ATP in urine samples.

Unmodified cysteamine capped nanocrystalline cadmium sulfide quantum dots (Cys-CdS QDs) were demonstrated as a selective turn-on fluorescence sensor for sensing adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP) in aqueous solution for the first time. The fluorescence intensity of the Cys-CdS QDs was significantly enhanced in the presence of ATP. In addition, the fluorescence intensity of the Cys-CdS QDs increased when increasing ATP concentrations. On the other hand, other phosphate metabolites and other tested common anions did not significantly alter the fluorescence intensity of the Cys-CdS QDs. In addition, this sensor showed excellent discrimination of pyrophosphate (PPi) from ATP detection. The proposed sensor could efficiently be used for ATP sensing at very low concentration with LOD of 17 μM with the linear working concentration range of 20–80 μM. The feasibility of the proposed sensor for determining ATP in urine samples was also studied, and satisfactory results were obtained.

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