Mesoporous silica particles for selective detection of dopamine with beta-cyclodextrin as the selective barricade

A mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) based fluorescent sensor for dopamine was constructed with probes inside particle pores and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) molecules on the particle surface as the selective barricade. The synergistic action of both the hydrophilic rim and hydrophobic cavity of beta-CD ensures that the sensor can distinguish dopamine from other biological competitors.