Dopamine fluorescent sensor based on green synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles and tyrosinase

Abstract

Summary Dopamine is a catecholamine that is an essential neurotransmitter in the human body. Thus, even a minute variation in its concentration and metabolism leads to severe neurological damage or diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Schizophrenia, and many more. It could be prevented at some scale by early detection. Nanoparticles have a remarkable ability to be used in sensors for detection purposes. This study synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles by green synthesis (P-Cu2O NPs) with Artemisia absinthium leaf extract for dopamine detection, accompanied by the enzyme tyrosinase used as a sensing material. The structural characterization of the nanoparticles and its interaction with dopamine via fluorescence spectroscopy was carried out to determine the sensitivity. The combination (P-Cu2O + tyrosinase) showed selective response to dopamine and did not show any response to interfering analyte like ascorbic acid, cysteine, and tyrosine. The limit of detection (LOD) of dopamine is observed to be 5 µM. This study indicates that P-Cu2O + tyrosinase can be a fluorescent probe in detecting dopamine.