Chemiluminescence Arising from the Decomposition of Peroxymonocarbonate and Enhanced by CdTe Quantum Dots

Enhanced chemiluminescence of the luminol-hydrogen peroxide system by colloidal cupric oxide nanoparticles as peroxidase mimic

As a peroxidase mimic, cupric oxide nanoparticles were found to enhance the chemiluminescence (CL) of luminol-H(2)O(2) system up to 400 folds. The CL spectra and radical scavengers were conducted to investigate the possible CL enhancement mechanism. It was suggested that the enhanced CL could be attributed to the peroxidase-like activity of CuO nanoparticles, which effectively catalyzed the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into hydroxyl radicals. The effects of the reactant concentrations and some organic compounds were also investigated. The proposed method could be used as a sensitive detection tool for hydrogen peroxide and glucose.

Application of quantum dots as analytical tools in automated chemical analysis: a review

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals or quantum dots (QDs) are one of the most relevant developments in the fast-growing world of nanotechnology. Initially proposed as luminescent biological labels, they are finding new important fields of application in analytical chemistry, where their photoluminescent properties have been exploited in environmental monitoring, pharmaceutical and clinical analysis and food quality control. Despite the enormous variety of applications that have been developed, the automation of QDs-based analytical methodologies by resorting to automation tools such as continuous flow analysis and related techniques, which would allow to take advantage of particular features of the nanocrystals such as the versatile surface chemistry and ligand binding ability, the aptitude to generate reactive species, the possibility of encapsulation in different materials while retaining native luminescence providing the means for the implementation of renewable chemosensors or even the utilisation of more drastic and even stability impairing reaction conditions, is hitherto very limited. In this review, we provide insights into the analytical potential of quantum dots focusing on prospects of their utilisation in automated flow-based and flow-related approaches and the future outlook of QDs applications in chemical analysis.