Fluorescent Organic Nanoaggregates for Selective Recognition of D-(-)-Ribose in Biological Fluids and Oral Supplements

Easily synthesizable, fluorescent, organic nanoaggregates have been utilized, for the first time, in the selective recognition of D-(-)-ribose at pH5.5 in water. In the self-assembled form, the reactive sites of the monomer units can be properly organized to form an effective recognition cleft for ribose (limit of detection approximate to 23 mu m), in which binding mainly occurs through a combination of hydrogen-bonding and CH center dot center dot center dot pi interactions. The degree of agglomeration shows a profound influence on the extent of ribose sensing. A reduction in the optical response (approximate to 1.8-fold) is observed when ribose is allowed to interact with nanoaggregates of smaller dimensions (a decrease in the hydrodynamic diameter from (approximate to 212.7 +/- 10.2) to (approximate to 44.6 +/- 3.5) nm). The protocol is also utilized for the estimation of ribose in human urine samples and oral supplements. Low-cost paper strips have also been developed for rapid, on-site detection of ribose without involving any sophisticated instruments or skilled personnel.