Rylene Imide‐Based Bio‐Sensing Platform for the Detection of Cortisol and Uric Acid
Abstract
The non-invasive detection of salivary biomarkers with high sensitivity and selectivity is critical for real-time monitoring of physiological stress and metabolic health. Herein, we report a rylene imide-based organic fluorophore, benzothioxanthene dicarboximide-diphenylamine (BTXI-DPA), for the selective detection of cortisol and uric acid within their physiological salivary ranges using fluorescence quenching. The platform demonstrates strong analyte specificity, with significantly enhanced quenching response towards cortisol compared to other steroidal hormones, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), oestradiol and progesterone. Spectroscopic investigations, including steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements, reveal that the quenching mechanism is predominantly governed by static interactions arising from ground-state complex formation. The dye shows a lower limit of detection (LOD) towards cortisol (LOD: 0.48 µg/dL) compared to uric acid (LOD: 841 µg/dL). The observed behaviour is attributed to analyte-dependent modulation of the electronic structure of BTXI-DPA, involving charge redistribution and electron transfer processes driven by intermolecular interactions. Molecular docking studies provide complementary insight into the interaction modes, highlighting the role of hydrogen bonding, π-π interactions and hydrophobic forces in stabilising analyte-probe complexes. Furthermore, a thin-film sensor fabricated via thermal evaporation demonstrates selective, rapid and reproducible electrochemical responses towards cortisol and uric acid, with stable performance over 10 days and good reusability. Overall, this work establishes BTXI-DPA as a versatile sensing platform offering a scalable approach for non-invasive, real-time, point-of-care monitoring of salivary biomarkers, with potential extension to a broader range of clinically relevant analytes.
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BibTeX
@article{pandit2026rylene,
title = {{Rylene Imide‐Based Bio‐Sensing Platform for the Detection of Cortisol and Uric Acid}},
author = {Parth Pandit and Shahnewaz Ali and Maciej Klein and Luke Ney and Daniel A Broszczak and Clinton Fookes and Tony J Parker and Dario Puchan Sanchez and Ahmad Kassem and Clement Cabanetos and Chamindie Punyadeera and Ajay K Pandey},
journal = {Journal of Sensors},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1155/js/5594275},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05787217v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Rylene Imide‐Based Bio‐Sensing Platform for the Detection of Cortisol and Uric Acid
AU - Parth Pandit
AU - Shahnewaz Ali
AU - Maciej Klein
AU - Luke Ney
AU - Daniel A Broszczak
AU - Clinton Fookes
AU - Tony J Parker
AU - Dario Puchan Sanchez
AU - Ahmad Kassem
AU - Clement Cabanetos
AU - Chamindie Punyadeera
AU - Ajay K Pandey
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Journal of Sensors
DO - 10.1155/js/5594275
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05787217v1
AB - The non-invasive detection of salivary biomarkers with high sensitivity and selectivity is critical for real-time monitoring of physiological stress and metabolic health. Herein, we report a rylene imide-based organic fluorophore, benzothioxanthene dicarboximide-diphenylamine (BTXI-DPA), for the selective detection of cortisol and uric acid within their physiological salivary ranges using fluorescence quenching. The platform demonstrates strong analyte specificity, with significantly enhanced quenching response towards cortisol compared to other steroidal hormones, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), oestradiol and progesterone. Spectroscopic investigations, including steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements, reveal that the quenching mechanism is predominantly governed by static interactions arising from ground-state complex formation. The dye shows a lower limit of detection (LOD) towards cortisol (LOD: 0.48 µg/dL) compared to uric acid (LOD: 841 µg/dL). The observed behaviour is attributed to analyte-dependent modulation of the electronic structure of BTXI-DPA, involving charge redistribution and electron transfer processes driven by intermolecular interactions. Molecular docking studies provide complementary insight into the interaction modes, highlighting the role of hydrogen bonding, π-π interactions and hydrophobic forces in stabilising analyte-probe complexes. Furthermore, a thin-film sensor fabricated via thermal evaporation demonstrates selective, rapid and reproducible electrochemical responses towards cortisol and uric acid, with stable performance over 10 days and good reusability. Overall, this work establishes BTXI-DPA as a versatile sensing platform offering a scalable approach for non-invasive, real-time, point-of-care monitoring of salivary biomarkers, with potential extension to a broader range of clinically relevant analytes.
SN - 1687-725X
SN - 1687-7268
ER -