Determination of pathogenic bacteria―Bacillus anthrax spores in environmental samples by ratiometric fluorescence and test paper based on dual-emission fluorescent silicon nanoparticles

[Display omitted] •A novel dual-emissive fluorescent Eu doped SiNPs (Eu@SiNPs) was fabricated for the first time by one-pot method.•A rapid, sensitive and highly selective method for determination of bacillus subtilis spores was established.•The method can realize ratiometric fluorescent and visual detecting bacillus subtilis spores simultaneously.•So far, this method is the only one that can be used for simulant bacillus anthrax spores sensing in real samples. Many lanthanide ions-based probes have been widely used for detecting anthrax spores biomarker-dipicolinic acid (DPA). However, little work has realized detection of bacillus anthrax spores in real environmental samples. In this work, a novel ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe based on europium (Eu)-doped silicon nanoparticles (Eu@SiNPs) was fabricated for the first time by one-pot method without post-modification for determination of the DPA in bacillus subtilis spores (simulant bacillus anthrax spores). Based on Eu(III) in the Eu@SiNPs could be sensitized by DPA to emit intrinsic fluorescence and the fluorescence intensity of SiNPs in the Eu@SiNPs almost remained stable, a new ratiometric fluorescent method for determination of micro DPA in bacillus subtilis spores and bacillus subtilis spores in real environmental samples, such as Yellow river water, tap water and soil was established. Under the optimum conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) of the method toward bacillus subtilis spores was as low as 2.38×104 spore/mL. Simple, fast and visual DPA and bacillus subtilis spores determination was also achieved by the Eu@SiNPs-based test paper. Therefore, the newly established method was expected to be a powerful tool for efficiently determination of bacillus anthrax spores to avoid anthrax threats.