Development of a Novel, Ecologically Friendly Generation of pH-Responsive Alginate Nanosensors: Synthesis, Calibration, and Characterisation

Measurement of the intracellular pH is particularly crucial for the detection of numerous diseases, such as carcinomas, that are characterised by a low intracellular pH. Therefore, pH-responsive nanosensors have been developed by many researchers due to their ability to non-invasively detect minor changes in the pH of many biological systems without causing significant biological damage. However, the existing pH-sensitive nanosensors, such as the polyacrylamide, silica, and quantum dots-based nanosensors, require large quantities of organic solvents that could cause detrimental damage to the ecosystem. As a result, this research is aimed at developing a new generation of pH-responsive nanosensors comprising alginate natural polymers and pH-sensitive fluorophores using an organic, solvent-free, and ecologically friendly method. Herein, we successfully synthesised different models of pH-responsive alginate nanoparticles by varying the method of fluorophore conjugation. The synthesised pH nanosensors demonstrated a low MHD with a relatively acceptable PDI when using the lowest concentration of the cross-linker Ca+2 (1.25 mM). All the pH nanosensors showed negative zeta potential values, attributed to the free carboxylate groups surrounding the nanoparticles' surfaces, which support the colloidal stability of the nanosensors. The synthesised models of pH nanosensors displayed a high pH-responsiveness with various correlations between the pH measurements and the nanosensors' fluorescence signal. In summation, pH-responsive alginate nanosensors produced using organic, solvent-free, green technology could be harnessed as potential diagnostics for the intracellular and extracellular pH measurements of various biological systems.

Automated summary

Measurement of intracellular pH is crucial for detecting diseases, and pH-responsive nanosensors have been developed to detect minor pH changes non-invasively. However, existing nanosensors require harmful organic solvents. This research successfully synthesized pH-responsive alginate nanoparticles using an organic, solvent-free, and environmentally friendly method. The nanosensors showed good pH-responsiveness and stability, making them potential diagnostics for intracellular and extracellular pH measurements.