Fluorescent Sensing of Folic Acid Detection
Summary
Folic acid, a vital B-vitamin involved in DNA synthesis and cellular metabolism, requires accurate monitoring in clinical, nutritional and environmental settings. Traditional approaches for folic acid quantification, such as chromatography and electrochemical assays, often demand extensive sample preparation and specialised instrumentation. Fluorescent sensing has emerged as a versatile alternative, combining high sensitivity with rapid response and simple optical read-outs. This strategy exploits nanomaterials—particularly semiconductor quantum dots and carbon dots—whose size-dependent emission, photostability and amenability to surface modification enable selective recognition of folic acid via mechanisms such as fluorescence quenching or energy transfer. Advances in probe design have focused on improving detection limits to the sub-micromolar range, enhancing biocompatibility for in vitro or in vivo applications, and integrating sensors into portable platforms for point-of-care testing. The result is a growing suite of fluorescent nanosensors capable of quantifying folic acid in fortified foods, biological fluids and water samples, with implications for public health surveillance, nutritional diagnostics and environmental monitoring.
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Fluorescent Sensing of Folic Acid Detection publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in fluorescent sensing of folic acid detection across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Quantum dots: Nanoscale semiconductor crystals whose electronic properties confer size-tunable fluorescence emission.
Carbon dots: Small, fluorescent carbon-based nanoparticles valued for low toxicity, facile synthesis and surface functionalisation.
Fluorescence quenching: Reduction in fluorescence intensity resulting from interactions between a fluorophore and an analyte.
Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET): Non-radiative transfer of excitation energy from a donor fluorophore to an acceptor, used to signal molecular binding events.
References
- CdTe Quantum Dots Modified with Cysteamine: A New Efficient Nanosensor for the Determination of Folic Acid. Sensors (2019).
- Fluorescent CdTe/ZnS Core/Shell Quantum Dots for Sensitive Metabolite Detection in Real Samples. Journal of Fluorescence (2025).
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