A rapid and sensitive spectrofluorometric method for 6-mercaptopurine using CdTe quantum dots

Abstract

Developing new detection methods for drugs is compulsory in terms of pharmacological investigation and quality control. In this contribution, we developed a new spectrofluorometric method for 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), an anticancer drug, by using CdTe quantum dots (QDs). It was found that the fluorescence of surface-carboxyl CdTe QDs could be effectively quenched by Cu2+ due to aggregation, but restored in the presence of 6-MP, due to the reduction of copper ions into cuprous ions by the disulfide of 6-MP. The restored fluorescence intensity had a linear relationship with the concentration of 6-MP in the range of 0.20–3.20 μmol L−1. With that, a new rapid sensitive spectrofluorometric method for 6-MP was developed.