Electronic energy transfer from sol–gel matrix and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots to protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) and its application for PpIX detection

Sol–gel matrix GA was produced by hydrolyzing and polymerizing a mixture of GPTMS and APTMS. Sol–gel GA was used to entrap CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) to fabricate a QD-entrapped sol–gel membrane. The electronic energy transfer from the sol–gel GA membrane and QDs to protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) led to an increase in the energy absorption of PpIX. The QD-entrapped sol–gel membrane was used for quantification of PpIX in aqueous solution with a linear detection range of 1–50 μM, and the sensitivity increased by about 25–44%, relative to that of the QD probes.

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