Porphyrin-GO nanocomposites based NIR fluorescent sensor array for heparin sensing and quality control.

Heparin (Hep), widely used in clinics as an anticoagulant drug, has high degrees of heterogeneity and shares a similar disaccharide repeating unit with its GAG analogues. The development of reliable and convenient methods to discriminate Hep from its GAG analogues and detect trace GAG contaminants in Hep is meaningful for safe usage of Hep in clinics. Herein, five porphyrin-GO nanocomposites denoted as PP1-GO, PP2a-GO, PP2b-GO, PP3-GO and PP4-GO were synthesized by assembling corresponding positively charged porphyrins onto the surface of GO. Controlled by different number and position of the 4-N-methyl-pyridyl groups substituted at the porphyrins, these nanocomposites were determined to be cross-reactive towards Hep and other three commonly used GAGs including Chs, HA and DS. A NIR sensor array PP-GO was thus constructed using these nanocomposites for GAGs discrimination and Hep quality control through pattern-based recognition. HCA and LDA calculated results indicated that PP-GO was powerful for discrimination of Hep and its GAG analogues in both PBS and even 10% serum media. Moreover, PP-GO sensor array was successfully applied for the reliable discrimination of trace GAG contaminants in Hep with 100% accuracy.