AIEgens-based fluorescent covalent organic framework in construction of chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer system for serum uric acid detection

A covalent organic framework (COF) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) property was successfully synthesized through in situ marriage of a commonly used AIE molecule tetraphenylethylene (TPE) with Schiff base network (SNW-1) through a simple one-pot method. The TPE@SNW-1 was characterized with different techniques of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption/desorption experiments. The fluorescence of the TPE@SNW-1 strongly depends on the composition of tetrahydrofuran–water binary system. The AIE property of TPE@SNW-1 was directly supported with particle size distribution by dynamic light scattering technique. With the TPE@SNW-1 as an energy acceptor, a chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (CRET) system was constructed with bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate (TCPO)–hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) reaction as an energy donor. The chemiluminescence (CL) signal displays a good linear relationship with concentration of H2O2 in the 5.0–1000.0 μmol·L−1 range, and a detection limit of 2.34 μmol L−1. The system was further exploited to determine uric acid based on the fact that equal stoichiometric amount of H2O2 can be concurrently generated under the catalysis of uricase. The procedure exhibits a linear response to uric acid concentration in the range 10.0–150.0 μmol·L−1 and a detection limit of 4.94 μmol·L−1. The practicability of the method was demonstrated  in the determination of uric acid in human serum samples.