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    Feb 2026, Microchemical Journal

    Tianhao Shi, Shiqi liuye, Yuqing chen, Liulin Yang*, and Xiao-Yu Cao*

    Sensitive, high-throughput, and cost-effective analysis of multiplex chiral analytes in complex biological environments remains a challenge. In this study, we constructed a fluorescent sensor array based on chiral carbon dots (CCDs) and metal ions, realizing rapid, multi-target detection of all D- and L-amino acids, as well as their mixtures in artificial saliva. The incorporation of CCDs endowed the array with high chiral recognition capability, while a designable signal-gain strategy using metal ions greatly enhanced sensitivity. Three metal ions (Cu2+, Fe3+, and Zn2+) were employed to modulate the fluorescence of two CCDs through quenching or enhancement. Upon amino acid addition, fluorescence intensities across six channels were either restored or further quenched, owing to the competitive interactions among amino acids, metal ions, and CCDs. This 6-channel array successfully identified all natural amino acids and their enantiomers within 30 s. Furthermore, it enabled quantitative analysis and discrimination of mixtures containing different ratios of D-amino acids in saliva, achieving a detection limit for D-Ala of 1.08 μmol/L—lower than the reported threshold indicative of gastric cancer. This strategy extends the application of carbon dots in multi-target chiral discrimination for rapid in vitro detection.