Luminescent solid phase for sialic acid determination: a promising sensor for milk-adulterated samples

ABSTRACT This article presents the synthesis, characterization and spectroscopic study of silica modified with thenoyltrifluoroacetonate (SilTTA) and coordinated to an europium (III) ion, for the determination of sialic acid (NANA). Elemental analysis and infrared spectroscopy suggest silica functionalization, as well as coordination of beta‐diketone to the lanthanide ion. The emission spectra of compound‐free and coordinated Eu–SilTTA to NANA showed significant changes with respect to the maximum emission and spectral profile, suggesting that the NANA ion is coordinated to the Eu(III). The values of the phenomenological intensity parameters show an increase in polarizability around the Eu(III) in the case of Eu–SilTTA coordinated to NANA, as expected, since water molecules are less polarizable than sialic acid. The results of the batch assay showed that luminescent silica can be used for sialic acid determination in milk‐adulterated samples, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9992; and a detection limit of 0.4 mg/L; relative standard deviation (RSD%) = 0.0028. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.