Highly selective and portable fluorescent detection of uranyl in groundwater via AIEgen-labeled protein cleavage.

To achieve highly selective and portable detection of uranyl (UO) in potentially polluted groundwater, a fluorescent detection method based on UO-triggered protein cleavage was established. An aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen), 4-aldehyde-4',4″-bis(4-pyridyl)triphenylamine, (CHO-BIPY-TPA, abbreviated as CBPT), was synthesized and labeled onto bovine serum albumin (BSA). The fluorescence of CBPT-BSA was quenched by UO-triggered covalent bond cleavage and protein fragment release.