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Ratiometric and sensitive cyanide sensing using dual-emissive gold nanoclusters

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Abstract

The detection of cyanide anion (CN−), a highly toxic pollutant, has attracted growing attention in the past years. In this work, a nanosensor composed of hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (hPEI)-assisted dual-emissive gold nanoclusters (DE-Au NCs) is proposed for ratiometric detection of CN− based on surface valence state-driving etch. The ratiometric color change of fluorescence is based on a fact that the red-emissive Au NCs with a high content of surface Au(I) can be easily etched by CN−, while the blue-emissive Au NCs with nearly neutral character can resist CN−. Because of the specific gold-CN− chemistry and electrostatic attraction between the positively charged hPEI protecting layer and the negatively charged CN−, the DE-Au NC-based nanosensor provides high selectivity toward CN− over other anions with a limit of detection of 10 nM. Practical application of the proposed DE-Au NC nanosensor is verified by satisfying recoveries of CN− determination in river water and urine samples.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (2202038), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21605003 and 51877205), the State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian (JH05-2019-02), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (buctrc201619).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China

    Hongwei Yang, Xingxiao Zhan, He Zhou & Zhiqin Yuan

  2. State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, 102205, China

    Yang Yang, Shilei Liu & Xiaosen Li

Authors
  1. Hongwei Yang
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  2. Yang Yang
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  3. Shilei Liu
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  4. Xingxiao Zhan
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  5. He Zhou
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  6. Xiaosen Li
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  7. Zhiqin Yuan
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Correspondence to Xiaosen Li or Zhiqin Yuan.

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All biological experiments were performed with the approval of the Human Ethics Committee, Beijing University of Chemical Technology. Informed consent was obtained from the participant included in the study.

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Yang, H., Yang, Y., Liu, S. et al. Ratiometric and sensitive cyanide sensing using dual-emissive gold nanoclusters. Anal Bioanal Chem 412, 5819–5826 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-020-02806-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-020-02806-2

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