Selective optical detection of organic analytes in liquids

An assay substrate comprising:

• a first component comprising a sensor molecule labeled with a quantum dot, the quantum dot immobilized to an assay substrate surface with a first linker, the first linker being a bi-polar linker comprising a first binding group for specific binding of the quantum dot and a second binding group for specific binding of the assay substrate surface, the sensor molecule having a specific binding site for an organic analyte, the sensor molecule labeled with the quantum dot in a position that has no effect on the organic analyte binding the specific binding site;
• a second component comprising a chemical analogue of the organic analyte, the chemical analogue labeled with a fluorescent dye, the chemical analogue linked to the quantum dot with a second linker having a length exceeding Förster radius, and the chemical analogue reversibly binding the specific binding site of the sensor molecule of the first component;
• the quantum dot having a first fluorescence emission spectrum that excites fluorescence of the fluorescent dye and the fluorescent dye having a second fluorescence emission spectrum distinguished from the first fluorescence spectrum of the quantum dot.