A sensitive biosensor for the fluorescence detection of the acetylcholinesterase reaction system based on carbon dots

•The C-dots with high fluorescence were prepared by a green and economical approach.•The C-dots were highly sensitive to H2O2 detection based on Fenton reaction.•A series of biosensors were constructed for the detection of AChE reaction system.

The carbon dots (C-dots) with high fluorescence quantum yield were prepared using hydrothermal method. C-dots have been adopted as probes for the fluorescence turn-off detection of H2O2 based on the special sensibility for the hydroxyl radical. And then the biosensors for the detection of substrate and enzymes activities were established in the acetylcholinesterase reaction system, which were related to the production of H2O2. Specifically, the proposed fluorescent biosensor was successfully applied to detect the concentration of choline (in the range from 0.025 to 50 μM) and acetylcholine (in the range from 0.050 to 50 μM), and the activity of choline oxidase (in the range from 1 to 75 U/L) and acetylcholinesterase (1 to 80 U/L). These results showed a sensitive, universal, nontoxic and eco-friendly detecting technique has been developed.

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