Nanoparticles having one or more attached sensing moieties including uridine 5′-triphosphate (UTP) and deoxythymidine 5′-triphosphate (dTTP), are disclosed herein. These nanoparticles can, for example, be used for detection of plasticizers, such as phthalates, in the sample. Methods, kits and apparatuses using these nanoparticles for detecting plasticizers in a sample are also disclosed herein.