A silicon nanowires (SiNWs)-based fluorescent sensor for complexed Cu2+ was realized. High sensitivity and selectivity of present sensor facilitate its bioapplications. The sensor was successfully used to detect the Cu2+ in liver extract. Meanwhile, real-time and in-situ monitoring of Cu2+ released from apoptotic HeLa cell was performed using the as-prepared SiNW arraysbased sensor. These results indicate that the present SiNWs-based sensor would be of potential applications in revealing the physiological and pathological roles of Cu2+. Nano Letters, 2014 Fluorescence images of cell-captured 3-AD-SiNW arrays culturing in trypsin solution. a), b) and c): fluorescence images of the cell nucleus (DAPI) under different incubation time (0 min, 10 min and 20 min); d), e) and f): fluorescence images of the 3-AD-SiNW arrays under different incubation time; g) shows the fluorescence intensities of cell nucleus indicated in panels a), b) and c) under different time; h) shows the fluorescence intensities of the plots in d), e) and f) under different time. The structure of 3-AD-SiNWs and procedure of SiNWs modification |