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Fluorescence-active and peroxidase-like expanded mesoporous silica-encapsulated ultrasmall Pt nanoclusters: a novel colorimetric/fluorescent dual-mode nanosensor for sensitive detection of mercury in medicinal and edible Pueraria lobata

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Abstract

A novel colorimetric/fluorescent dual-mode nanosensor for Hg2+ detection was constructed using expanded mesoporous silica (EMSN)-encapsulated ultrasmall platinum nanoclusters (EMSN@Pt NCs) with improved peroxidase-like and stable fluorescent activities. The sensing technique was based on the mechanism that the peroxidase mimetic activity and fluorescence intensity of EMSN@Pt NCs can be inhibited in the presence of Hg2+. In this sensing platform, a linear range of 5–50 nM with a detection limit of 1.78±0.38 nM and quantification limit of 5.93 nM was obtained via fluorescent analysis. A linear calibration curve from 0.25 to 200 nM with a detection limit of 8.25±0.51 nM and quantification limit of 27.47 nM was achieved via colorimetric analysis. The proposed dual-mode probe possesses excellent selectivity and reliability for Hg2+ detection, which can function as an efficient nanosensor for the quantitative determination of Hg2+ in Pueraria lobata.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Postdoctoral Fund of Hebei Medical University, Postdoctoral Fund of Hebei Province (B2021003040), the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (No. H2020206416, B2021206005, B2019206437), the Youth Top Talent Project of Hebei Province Higher Education (No. BJ2021050, BJ2020034), and Chunyu Project Outstanding Youth Fund of Hebei Medical University (No. CYYQ2021003, CYYQ201903).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Postdoctoral Mobile Station of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, People’s Republic of China

    Yanting Shen

  2. School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Development and Evaluation, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, People’s Republic of China

    Yanting Shen, Yuhui Zhao, Yanyan Zhu & Jing Wang

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  1. Yanting Shen
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Correspondence to Jing Wang.

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Yanting Shen and Yuhui Zhao are contributed equally

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Shen, Y., Zhao, Y., Zhu, Y. et al. Fluorescence-active and peroxidase-like expanded mesoporous silica-encapsulated ultrasmall Pt nanoclusters: a novel colorimetric/fluorescent dual-mode nanosensor for sensitive detection of mercury in medicinal and edible Pueraria lobata. Microchim Acta 189, 18 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-021-05119-y

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