Copper metal-organic framework incorporated mesoporous silica as a bioorthogonal biosensor for detection of glutathione

In this study, we constructed a glutathione (GSH)-triggered MSNs@MOF nanoreactor, in which Cu (II) was coordinated with trimesic acid (BTC) to form a shell. Cu (I) produced via in situ reduction with GSH acted as a catalyst, which further expedited the rate of the bioorthogonal reaction between alkyne and azide. We assessed the performance of our nanoreactors for GSH sensing, ranging from cells to wheat plumules. The results show that our nanoreactors possess good biocompatibility and have potential applications in the detection of metal ions in plants. The ability to monitor bioorthogonal reactions intracellularly may contribute to precision chemistry for rational designs of smart platforms for biomarker detection beyond GSH and targeted drug manufacture for precision medicine.