Synergistic Noncovalent Interaction Drives High-Performance Fluorescence Detection of Drug Analogs
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Accurate and sensitive detection of illicit drugs, including methamphetamine (MA), is essential for maintaining public health and security. Stringent regulatory controls on MA have driven the adoption of N -methylphenethylamine (MPEA) as a prevalent experimental surrogate in scientific research. While fluorescence-based sensing demonstrates efficacy in detecting MPEA, its practical application remains constrained by selectivity and sensitivity. To overcome these limitations, we engineered a fluorescence sensing strategy based on synergistic noncovalent interaction and employed AgPDT (PDT = 4-pyridinethiol) as a recognition motif enabling both exceptional selectivity ( F 0 / F shows a 450% enhancement versus structural analogs) and remarkable sensitivity (LOD = 1 nM) for MPEA detection. The excellent detection performance originates from optimized charge transfer and hydrogen bonding interactions between AgPDT and MPEA, synergistically enhancing the molecular recognition specificity. This ultrasensitive fluorescence-based detection system demonstrates significant potential for trace illicit drug analysis.
Source: ACS Omega
Authors: Jing Yu, Chao Gu, Pei-Xuan Wu, Meng-Yao Luo, Na-Xuan Chen, Xiao-Qing Yu, Guan-E Wang, Gang Xu
Institutions: Fujian Normal University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Science and Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China
Language: English
Subfield: Spectroscopy
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,935
Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Haixi Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province, Fujian Normal University, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Fujian Science and Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China
OpenAlex ID: W4415829841