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Strongly fluorescent cysteamine-coated copper nanoclusters as a fluorescent probe for determination of picric acid

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Abstract

This paper describes the synthesis of fluorescent copper nanoclusters (CuNC) with a fluorescence quantum yield as high as 2.3% after modification with cysteamine. The modified CuNC are shown to be viable probes for the determination of picric acid (PA). Fluorescence drops with increasing concentration of PA which can be detected fluorometrically with a 0.14 μM limit of detection. This is much lower than required by the People’s Republic of China Surface Water Environmental Quality Standard (2.2 μM). The probe was successfully applied to the determination of PA in spiked tap water, lake water and river water.

Copper nanoclusters (CuNC) have weak fluorescence but after the modification with cysteamine, the fluorescence of CuNC is strongly enhanced. The fluorescence of such cysteamine-coated copper nanoclusters (CuNC-CA) is reduced upon the addition of picric acid (PA) through an inner filter effect (IFE).

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81773684, 21505053, and 21675158), Guangdong Natural Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholars (2018B030306033), Pearl River S&T Nova Program of Guangzhou (201806010060), Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province, China (2016A030310089), Medical Scientific Research Foundation of Guangdong Province of China (A2018133), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (21618407), and the Basic Research Project of Knowledge Innovation Program of Shenzhen City (JCYJ20160229165250876).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, Guangdong, China

    Zhijun Bao, Jingyi Jian, Ziwei Hu, Kaisong Yuan, Huikai Shao, Kun Peng, Zhengjin Jiang & Haibo Zhou

  2. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Ma’anshan, 243032, Anhui, China

    Kui Zhang & Cheng Zhang

  3. Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF) & Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China

    Juan Antonio Zapien

  4. School of Analytical and Testing Center, West Anhui University, Lu’an, 237012, Anhui, China

    Yehan Yan

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  1. Zhijun Bao
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  4. Ziwei Hu
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  11. Cheng Zhang
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Correspondence to Zhengjin Jiang, Cheng Zhang or Haibo Zhou.

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Bao, Z., Zhang, K., Jian, J. et al. Strongly fluorescent cysteamine-coated copper nanoclusters as a fluorescent probe for determination of picric acid. Microchim Acta 185, 507 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-018-3049-2

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