Facile synthesis of red emitting 3-aminophenylboronic acid functionalized copper nanoclusters for rapid, selective and highly sensitive detection of glycoproteins.

As an emerging class of fluorescent probes, copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs) have been considered as an intriguing candidate for detecting biomoleculars due to their outstanding fluorescent properties, excellent biocompatibility and low cost. Herein, we fabricated bovine serum albumin (BSA) protected Cu NCs (BSA-Cu NCs) and further functionalized them with 3-aminophenylboronic acid (APBA) for selectively discerning glycoproteins. In aqueous solution, Cu(2+) ions were directly reduced into BSA-Cu NCs by hydrazine hydrate (N2H4·H2O) at room-temperature using BSA as the capping agent.