ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

A feasible fluorescent probe based on modified silver nanocrystals for quantification of hydrogen peroxide in milk samples

Kosar Shirazi, Zahra Karimzadeh, Elaheh Rahimpour, and Abolghasem Jouyban

Pharmaceutical Analysis Research Center and Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

E-mail: rahimpour_e@yahoo.com

Received: 5 January 2025  Accepted: 17 August 2025

Abstract:

In this study, a reliable fluorescence nanoprobe utilizing bovine serum albumin-modified silver nanocrystals (BSA-modified Ag NCs) was developed for the sensitive quantification of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the milk samples. The successful synthesis of BSA-modified Ag NCs was examined through transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry, dynamic light scattering, X-ray powder diffraction, and attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transforms infrared. The probe exhibited a significant decrease in fluorescence intensity when exposed to H₂O₂, indicating an oxidative interaction between BSA-modified Ag NCs and H₂O₂. The proposed nanoprobe displayed a linear response toward H₂O₂ in the concentration range of 1.5–294 nmol/L, with a detection limit of 0.3 nmol/L. The intraday precision and inter-day precision which are percentages of relative standard deviation for five repetitive measurements of H₂O₂ at a concentration of 59 nmol/L, respectively, on the same day and different days were 3.4% and 6.8%. The validated method was successfully used for the determination of H₂O₂ in six milk samples obtained from the local market. This method exhibited high sensitivity and specificity, offering a sensing platform that is simple, convenient, and quick to implement.

Keywords: Hydrogen peroxide detection; Silver nanocrystal; Fluorescence nanoprobe; Milk analysis; Redox reaction; Biosensor

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04324-w

Chemical Papers 79 (12) 8443–8453 (2025)