A fluorometric aptasensor for methamphetamine based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer using cobalt oxyhydroxide nanosheets and carbon dots.

Cobalt oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) nanosheets are efficient fluorescence quenchers due to their specific optical properties and high surface area. The combination of CoOOH nanosheets and carbon dots (CDs) has not been used in any aptasensor based on fluorescence quenching so far. An aptamer based fluorometric assay is introduced that is making use of fluorescent CDs conjugated to the aptamer against methamphetamine (MTA), and of CoOOH nanosheets which reduce the fluorescence of the CDs as a quencher.