Local Solvation is Decisive for Fluorescence of Biosensors

Nanotubes can serve as biosensors. They change their fluorescence when they bind to certain molecules. Until now, it was unclear why. Researchers have gained new insights into the cause of the fluorescence.

Researchers from Bochum and Texas have discovered why carbon nanotubes fluoresce when they bind to certain molecules. Nanotubes are considered promising biosensors that could be useful for blood sugar monitoring or Covid-19 tests, for example. When they bind to an analyte, they fluoresce - the higher the concentration of the analyte, the brighter the fluorescence. Researchers from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, and a team from the University of Texas at El Paso, USA, have used terahertz spectroscopy to unveil the mechanism behind the light emission. ...