Fluorescent/luminescent detection of natural amino acids by organometallic systems

•A wide variety of approaches in designing amino acid (AA) sensors based on fluorescent and luminescent organometallic systems.•Sensing mechanisms employed by organometallic systems for fluorescent and luminescent AA sensing.•Different roles of metals and organic parts played in selective AA sensing.•Chiral recognition to discriminate AA enantiomers (i.e., d and l).•Pattern recognition to distinguish a range of AAs simultaneously.

In comparison with other detection technologies, fluorescence/luminescence technology has become a powerful tool owing to its advantageous features including simplicity, low cost, high sensitivity, quick response time, easy sample preparation, noninvasive and nondestructive nature, etc. Due to the important roles played by 20 natural amino acids in living systems, this review focuses on recent contributions (from the year 2000 until July 2014) regarding the development of fluorescent/luminescent chemosensors and chemodosimeters to detect specific AAs, as well as chiral recognition to discriminate AA enantiomers (i.e., d and l), and pattern recognition to distinguish a range of AAs simultaneously based on fluorescent/luminescent organometallic systems, which include organic–metal complexes and hybrid organic–metal nanoparticles/nanoclusters.

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