Highly luminescent Ag+ nanoclusters for Hg2+ ion detection

Synthesis and soft crystal structure-induced broad emission of (NH3C6H12NH3)InBr5·2H2O

We report a simple synthesis of a new lead-free zero-dimensional (0D) hybrid halide compound, (5P1)InBr5·2H2O [(5P1) = NH3C6H12NH3], which hosts isolated and distorted octahedra of [InBr5(H2O)]2-, surrounded by bulky asymmetric organic cations [(5P1)2+] and H2O molecules. The hybrid crystals exhibit broad self trapped excitonic (STE) emission due to strong anharmonic soft structure.

Photoluminescent Characterization of Metal Nanoclusters: Basic Parameters, Methods, and Applications

Metal nanoclusters (MNCs) can be synthesized with atomically precise structures and molecule formulae due to the rapid development of nanocluster science in recent decades. The ultrasmall size range (normally < 2 nm) endows MNCs with plenty of molecular-like properties, among which photoluminescent properties have aroused extensive attention. Tracing the research and development processes of luminescent nanoclusters, various photoluminescent analysis and characterization methods play a significant role in elucidating luminescent mechanism and analyzing luminescent properties. In this review, it is aimed to systematically summarize the normally used photoluminescent characterizations in MNCs including basic parameters and methods, such as excitation/emission wavelength, quantum yield, and lifetime. For each key parameter, first its definition and meaning is introduced and then the relevant characterization methods including measuring principles and the revelation of luminescent properties from the collected data are discussed. Then, it is discussed in details how to explore the luminescent mechanism of MNCs and construct NC-based applications based on the measured data. By means of these characterization strategies, the luminescent properties of MNCs and NC-based designs can be explained quantitatively and qualitatively. Hence, this review is expected to provide clear guidance for researchers to characterize luminescent MNCs and better understand the luminescent mechanism from the measured results.

Detection of Fe3+ and Hg2+ ions through photoluminescence quenching of carbon dots derived from urea and bitter tea oil residue

In this study, we prepared nitrogen-doped carbon dots (xNCDs) using hydrothermally-treated bitter tea oil residue with urea for the detection of metal ions by monitoring the photoluminescence quenching. The quantum yields of the xNCDs increased from approximately 3.85% (CDs) to 5.5% (3NCDs) and 7.2% (1NCDs), revealing that nitrogen doping effectively increases the fluorescence emission. The increased emission of the xNCDs can be attributed to radiative recombination resulting from the π-π* transition of the C=C or the n-π* transition between the C=O or N=O of sp³ units. Moreover, the CDs have abundant surface-attached phenolic and hydroxyl groups that coordinate with Fe³⁺ ions and quench the fluorescence. Conversely, Hg²⁺ ions preferentially adsorb on nitrogen-containing groups, such as amide-carbonyl groups (O=C-NH₂) and pyridinic and pyrrolic functionalities, on the surface of the NCDs owing to their strong affinity, quenching the substantial photoluminescence emissions. Our results suggest that bitter tea oil residue-derived carbon dots can be used to selectively detect metal ions, such as Fe³⁺ and Hg²⁺, by doping with nitrogen using urea as a nitrogen precursor.

Synthesis of metal nanoclusters and their application in Hg2+ ions detection: A review

Mercuric (Hg²⁺) ions released from human activities, natural phenomena, and industrial sources are regarded as the global pollutant of world's water. Hg²⁺ ions contaminated water has several adverse effects on human health and the environment even at low concentrations. Therefore, rapid and cost-effective method is urgently required for the detection of Hg²⁺ ions in water. Although, the current analytical methods applied for the detection of Hg²⁺ ions provide low detection limit, they are time consuming, require expensive equipment, and are not suitable for in-situ analysis. Metal nanoclusters (MNCs) consisting of several to ten metal atoms are important transition missing between single atoms and plasmonic metal nanoparticles. In addition, sub-nanometer sized MNCs possess unique electronic structures and the subsequent unusual optical, physical, and chemical properties. Because of these novel properties, MNCs as a promising material have attracted considerable attention for the construction of selective and sensitive sensors to monitor water quality. Hence this review is focused on recent advances on synthesis strategies, and optical and chemical properties of various MNCs including their applications to develop optical assay for Hg²⁺ ions in aqueous solutions.

Fluorescent Carbon Dots an Effective Nano-Thermometer in Vitro Applications

Fluorescent sensing of temperature in nanoscale regions has many advantages and applications in the biological field. Herein, blue emitting carbon dots (CDs) are designed and successfully developed using a one step hydrothermal method. As synthesized CDs exhibit temperature dependent photoluminescent (PL) intensity and PL decay lifetime over the physiological temperature ranging from room temperature (RT) to 70 °C. The PL intensity and PL decay lifetime of the obtained CDs correlate linearly to temperature (RT-70 °C) with correlation coefficient of 0.997 and 0.996, respectively. Additionally, dual mode thermal sensing (PL intensity/lifetime) make these CDs a promising optical nanothermometer over alternative semiconductors quantum dots and CD-based quantum dots. Moreover, the resultant aqueous CDs demonstrate excitation-independent blue emission, and the PL quantum yield (QY) is reached at 44.5%. The obtained CDs illustrate stable performance to high ionic environments and photobleaching even after keeping them for 2 h under continues UV irradiation. Furthermore, blue emitting CDs have low cytotoxicity for T-ca. cells and illuminate deep blue fluorescence under the excitation of 406 nm. As a result, high thermal sensitivity of these fluorescent CDs has potential to detect temperature in living cells in the range of 25-40 °C.

Ligand Design in Ligand-Protected Gold Nanoclusters

The design of surface ligands is crucial for ligand-protected gold nanoclusters (Au NCs). Besides providing good protection for Au NCs, the surface ligands also play the following two important roles: i) as the outermost layer of Au NCs, the ligands will directly interact with the exterior environment (e.g., solvents, molecules and cells) influencing Au NCs in various applications; and ii) the interfacial chemistry between ligands and gold atoms can determine the structures, as well as the physical and chemical properties of Au NCs. A delicate ligand design in Au NCs (or other metal NCs) needs to consider the covalent bonds between ligands and gold atoms (e.g., gold-sulfur (Au-S) and gold-phosphorus (Au-P) bond), the physics forces between ligands (e.g., hydrophobic and van der Waals forces), and the ionic forces between the functional groups of ligands (e.g., carboxylic (COOH) and amine group (NH₂ )); which form the underlying chemistry and discussion focus of this review article. Here, detailed discussions on the effects of surface ligands (e.g., thiolate, phosphine, and alkynyl ligands; or hydrophobic and hydrophilic ligands) on the synthesis, structures, and properties of Au NCs; highlighting the design principles in the surface engineering of Au NCs for diverse emerging applications, are provided.

The synthesis of novel fluorescent bimetal nanoclusters for aqueous mercury detection based on aggregation-induced quenching

In this research, new bimetal nanoclusters (DAMP-AuAg BNCs) with 4,6-diamino-2-mercaptopyrimidine (DAMP) as a reducing agent and stabilizer ligand were exploited. The nanoclusters displayed excellent fluorescent properties, very small size, good stability, and water solubility. It was found that the as-prepared DAMP-AuAg BNCs exhibited strong fluorescent emission at 640 nm under an excitation wavelength of 473 nm with a large Stokes shift of 167 nm, and the red fluorescence could be readily quenched with aqueous Hg²⁺. The DAMP-AuAg BNCs showed good specificity and sensitivity toward Hg²⁺ in aqueous solution, and the fluorescence analysis of Hg²⁺ showed a wide linear range from 0.85 μM to 246 μM and a detection limit of 20 nM. It is demonstrated that strong Hg²⁺-Au⁺ interactions led to the aggregation of nanoclusters, which caused the quenching of the fluorescence, and the affinity of Hg²⁺ for nitrogen should also be considered. Due to the relevant good performance of DAMP-AuAg BNCs, they were applied to the fluorescence analysis of Hg²⁺ in real water samples and were found to be a potential fluorescent sensor for aqueous mercury ions.

Cu2+ enhanced fluorescent Ag nanoclusters with tunable emission from red to yellow and the application for Ag+ sensing

In this work, the water-soluble fluorescent Ag nanoclusters (DPA@Ag NCs) were first prepared based on D-Penicillamine (DPA) as a stabilizer, however, the fluorescence quantum yield (QY) of DPA@Ag NCs was very low, then Cu²⁺ was employed to improve the fluorescence QY and the doped Ag nanoclusters with Cu²⁺ (DPA@Ag/Cu NCs) were obtained. The study showed that the QY increased fourfold and the emission of nanoclusters changed from red to yellow after addition of Cu²⁺. The reasonfor change of fluorescent properties wasattributed to the change of self-assembly structures caused by adding Cu²⁺ into reaction system, leading to the aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) effect and enhancing the band gap (Eg) between the HOMO and LUMO in nanoclusters. Subsequently, a fluorescent Ag⁺ sensor with high sensitivity and selectivity was established based on the DPA@Ag/Cu NCs as probes in aqueous solution. Experiments showed that the Ag⁺ could significantly quench the fluorescence of DPA@Ag/Cu NCs under experimental conditions, and there was a good linear relationship between the fluorescent intensity quenching value and Ag⁺ concentration in the range of 0.05-800 μM, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.03 μM (3σ/k). Meanwhile, most of common ions had no effect on the experimental results under the same conditions. In addition, the sensor was successfully applied on the detection of Ag⁺ in real water samples, and the recovery rate was 80.3-99.0%.

Recent progress of zero-dimensional luminescent metal halides

This review provides in-depth insight into the structure–luminescence–application relationship of 0D all-inorganic/organic–inorganic hybrid metal halide luminescent materials.

Molecular reactivity of thiolate-protected noble metal nanoclusters: synthesis, self-assembly, and applications

Thiolate-protected noble metal (e.g., Au and Ag) nanoclusters (NCs) are ultra-small particles with a core size of less than 3 nm. Due to the strong quantum confinement effects and diverse atomic packing modes in this ultra-small size regime, noble metal NCs exhibit numerous molecule-like optical, magnetic, and electronic properties, making them an emerging family of "metallic molecules". Based on such molecule-like structures and properties, an individual noble metal NC behaves as a molecular entity in many chemical reactions, and exhibits structurally sensitive molecular reactivity to various ions, molecules, and other metal NCs. Although this molecular reactivity determines the application of NCs in various fields such as sensors, biomedicine, and catalysis, there is still a lack of systematic summary of the molecular interaction/reaction fundamentals of noble metal NCs at the molecular and atomic levels in the current literature. Here, we discuss the latest progress in understanding and exploiting the molecular interactions/reactions of noble metal NCs in their synthesis, self-assembly and application scenarios, based on the typical M(0)@M(i)-SR core-shell structure scheme, where M and SR are the metal atom and thiolate ligand, respectively. In particular, the continuous development of synthesis and characterization techniques has enabled noble metal NCs to be produced with molecular purity and atomically precise structural resolution. Such molecular purity and atomically precise structure, coupled with the great help of theoretical calculations, have revealed the active sites in various structural hierarchies of noble metal NCs (e.g., M(0) core, M-S interface, and SR ligand) for their molecular interactions/reactions. The anatomy of such molecular interactions/reactions of noble metal NCs in synthesis, self-assembly, and applications (e.g., sensors, biomedicine, and catalysis) constitutes another center of our discussion. The basis and practicality of the molecular interactions/reactions of noble metal NCs exemplified in this Review may increase the acceptance of metal NCs in various fields.

Silk Fibroin-Confined Star-Shaped Decahedral Silver Nanoparticles as Fluorescent Probe for Detection of Cu2+ and Pyrophosphate

A green, one-step method for the fabrication of silk fibroin (SF) protected silver decahedral nanoparticles (SF@AgNPs) has been developed. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy characterization demonstrated that the silver decahedral nanoparticles can provide more binding sites with (111) facets. Moreover, a facile strategy based on Cu²⁺ mediated SF@AgNPs was reported as an on-off-on fluorescent system for the detection of Cu²⁺, and the SF@AgNPs can be also used for the determination of pyrophosphate ion (P₂O₇^4-, PPi). The fluorescence of SF@AgNPs was quenched by Cu²⁺ as a complex formed between SF and Cu²⁺ and was restored when PPi was introduced into the system due to the higher binding affinity between PPi and Cu²⁺. Herein, a novel SF@AgNPs-Cu²⁺ fluorescent probe for Cu²⁺ and PPi detection is presented. The proposed assay shows a linear relationship at a Cu²⁺ concentration range from 1 to 6 μM with a detection limit of 33.3 nM. This simple, reliable, selective, and environmentally friendly fluorescent probe also has a wide concentration range from 100 to 700 μM with a detection limit of 6.7 μM for PPi. The 16 types of anions lead to negligible changes in the SF@AgNPs-Cu²⁺ complexes, while restoring the fluorescence intensity of the complexes when added with PPi. Additionally, it is demonstrated that the SF@AgNPs-based fluorescent assay works in real biological samples. It suggests that this proposed method has the potential for application in the clinical detection of Cu²⁺ and PPi.

Endogenous Cys-Assisted GSH@AgNCs-rGO Nanoprobe for Real-Time Monitoring of Dynamic Change in GSH Levels Regulated by Natural Drug

Glutathione (GSH) levels are closely related to the homeostasis of redox state which directly affects human disease occurrence by regulating cell apoptosis. Hence, real-time monitoring of dynamic changes in intracellular GSH levels is urgently needed for disease early diagnosis and evaluation of therapy efficiency. In this study, an endogenous cysteine (Cys)-assisted detection system based on GSH@AgNCs and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with high sensitivity and specificity was developed for GSH detection. Compared with GSH, GSH@AgNCs with weaker affinity and bonding force was quite easier to extrude from the rGO surface when competing against GSH, leading to the obvious change in fluorescence signal. This phenomenon was termed as "a crowding out effect". Furthermore, the presence of Cys can improve GSH assay sensitivity by enhancing the quenching efficiency of rGO on the GSH@AgNCs. In vitro assay indicated that the efficiency of fluorescence recovery was positively related with GSH concentration in the range from 0 to 10 mM. In addition, the method was employed for real-time monitoring of the dynamic changes in GSH levels regulated by natural drugs. The imaging results showed that the natural compound 3 (C3) can downregulate GSH levels in HepG2 cells, which was accompanied by reactive oxygen species (ROS) release and apoptosis induction. Finally, the method was used to monitor the change of GSH levels in serum samples with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. The results demonstrated that the occurrence and development of CHB may be positively correlated with GSH levels to some extent. Overall, the above results demonstrate the potential application of this new nanosystem in anticancer natural drug screening and clinical assay regarding GSH levels.

Fabrication of silver nanoclusters with enhanced fluorescence triggered by ethanol solvent: a selective fluorescent probe for Cr3+ detection

We present a facile method for the preparation of red-emitting and water-soluble silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs) using dihydrolipoic acid and sodium borohydride as the template and reducing agent. Ethanol solvent is demonstrated to endow Ag NCs with dramatically enhanced fluorescence; therefore, the Ag NCs are synthesized in ethanol/water solution (e/w-Ag NCs) instead of aqueous solution. Specific trivalent chromium (Cr³⁺) recognition capability of the e/w-Ag NCs can thus be obtained on the basis of its fluorescence quenching. The mechanisms for fluorescence enhancement and quenching of the e/w-Ag NCs triggered by ethanol and Cr³⁺, respectively, are investigated in detail. Next, a fluorescence method for detection of Cr³⁺ is established and its analytical performance is evaluated: the detection limit for Cr³⁺ is 0.71 μM and the linear range is from 2 to 40 μM. The fluorescent probe exhibits sufficient sensitivity and good selectivity toward Cr³⁺, illustrating that it has great promise for practical application in Cr³⁺ detection.

A repertoire of biomedical applications of noble metal nanoparticles

The emerging properties of noble metal nanoparticles are attracting huge interest from the translational scientific community. In this feature article, we highlight recent advances in the adaptation of noble metal nanomaterials and their biomedical applications in therapeutics, diagnostics and sensing.

Chicken Egg White-stabilized Au Nanoclusters for Selective and Sensitive Detection of Hg(II)

In this paper, chicken egg white purchased from a local market without further purification was directly used to prepare fluorescent gold nanoclusters through a one-step, simple, fast and green synthesis approach for analytical purposes. The as-prepared chicken egg white stabilized gold nanocluster probe has strong red fluorescence emission, which can be quenched by mercury ions and copper ions sensitively. By using an ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) masking method, mercury ions in the range from 0.60 to 10 μM can be linearly detected with the limit of detection (LOD, 3σ) of 0.510 μM in the presence of equivalent copper ions. Since the preparation of a chicken egg white stabilized gold nanocluster probe is fast, easy and cheap, this selective analytical method for mercury pollution monitoring in environmental waters may be widely used in daily life by ordinary people.

Unraveling the molecular mechanism of photosynthetic toxicity of highly fluorescent silver nanoclusters to Scenedesmus obliquus

While the discovery of numerous attractive properties of silver at the nanoscale has increased their demand in many sectors including medicine, optics, sensing, painting and cosmetics, it has also raised wide public concerns about their effect on living organisms in aquatic environment. Despite the continuous effort to understand the various aspects of the toxicity of silver nanomaterials, the molecular level understanding on their cytotoxicity mechanism to biological organisms has remained unclear. Herein, we demonstrated the underlying mechanism of the photosynthetic toxicity against green algae namely, Scenedesmus obliquus by using an emerging silver nanomaterial, called silver nanoclusters (defined as r-Ag NCs). By exploiting the unique fluorescence properties of r-Ag NCs along with various other analytical/biological tools, we proposed that the photosynthetic toxicity of r-Ag NCs was largely attributed to the "joint-toxicity" effect of particulate form of r-Ag NCs and its released Ag+, which resulted in the disruption of the electron transport chain of light reaction and affected the content of key enzymes (RuBP carboxylase/ oxygenase) of Calvin cycle of algae cells. We believe that the present study can also be applied to the assessment of the ecological risk derived from other metal nanoparticles.

Platinum Nanoparticle Encapsulated Metal-Organic Frameworks for Colorimetric Measurement and Facile Removal of Mercury(II)

Pt nanoparticle (Pt NP)@UiO-66-NH₂ composites were synthesized and encompassed the benefits of permanent porosity, high thermal and chemical stability of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), together with the functional behavior of isolated Pt NPs. The PVP-stabilized Pt NPs with the average diameter of 2.48 nm were well dispersed and confined within the framework of UiO-66-NH₂. Pt NPs possess highly peroxidase-like activities and make the composites oxidize 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine in the presence of H₂O₂. Moreover, the specific interaction between Hg²⁺ and Pt NPs leads to the effective suppression of the peroxidase-like activity of Pt NP@UiO-66-NH₂, which endows excellent selectivity for Hg²⁺ measurement over the interfering metal ions. Based on the colorimetric sensing system, Hg²⁺ is linearly measured over the range from 0 to 10 nM with a detection limit of 0.35 nM. Moreover, the as-obtained Pt NP@UiO-66-NH₂ nanocomposites exhibit high capacity and good selectivity for Hg²⁺ adsorption, which is successfully applied to treat Hg²⁺ in water with removal efficiency over 99%. With these findings, Pt NP@UiO-66-NH₂ composites can be used to develop a simple and rapid colorimetric sensing system and are utilized as nanoadsorbents for facile removal of Hg²⁺. This work not only expands the scientific researches on MOFs but also provides practical application in environmental, biological, and relative fields.

Synthesis of Positively Charged Photoluminescent Bimetallic Au-Ag Nanoclusters by Double-Target Sputtering Method on a Biocompatible Polymer Matrix

Herein, we report a novel positively charged photoluminescent Au-Ag bimetallic nanocluster synthesized using 11-mercaptoundecyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium bromide as the capping ligand by means of "green" double-target sputtering method on a biocompatible polymer matrix. The photoluminescent Au-Ag bimetallic cluster showed emission tunability from blue to near infrared (NIR) regions with respect to change in the composition.

Multicolor Functional Carbon Dots via One-Step Refluxing Synthesis

Carbon dots are admirable fluorescent nanomaterials due to their low cost, high photostability, excellent biocompatibility, and environmental friendliness. Most conventional carbon dot fabrication approaches produce single-colored fluorescent material in the preparation process; different methods are therefore required to synthesize distinct carbon dots for specific optical applications. In this study, carbon dots carrying different emission colors are prepared through a one-step refluxing process. The emission of these materials can be well-tuned by sodium hydroxide content in the precursor solution. The carbon dots produced are used as sensing probes based on the spectrofluorometric inner filter effect for target molecule detection. Three sensing categories that combine carbon dots and inner filter effect are demonstrated, including direct, metal nanoparticle-assisted, and enzymatic reaction-supported detection. Caffeine, melamine, and fenitrothion are selected as targets to demonstrate the strategies, respectively. These multifunctional carbon dot-based sensors achieve comparable sensitivity toward analytes with a much more convenient preparation route.

Fluorescent metal quantum clusters: an updated overview of the synthesis, properties, and biological applications

A brief history of metal quantum clusters, their synthesis methods, physical properties, and an updated overview of their applications is provided.

Synthesis of cationically charged photoluminescent coinage metal nanoclusters by sputtering over a liquid polymer matrix

A generic green synthetic approach to synthesize photoluminescent metal nanoclusters of known plasmonic elements via sputtering on a biocompatible polymer matrix.

Silver nanoclusters stabilized with denatured fish sperm DNA and the application on trace mercury ions detection

In this study, fluorescent silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs) were synthesized using denatured fish sperm DNA as the template. In contrast to other methods, this method did not use artificial DNA as the template. After their reaction with denatured fish sperm DNA, Ag⁺ ions were reduced by NaBH₄ to form Ag NCs. The Ag NCs showed a strong fluorescence emission at 650 nm when excited at 585 nm. The fluorescence intensity increased fourfold at pH 3.78, controlled with Britton-Robinson buffer solution. The fluorescence of the Ag NCs was quenched in the presence of trace mercury ions (Hg²⁺ ) in a weakly acidic medium and nitrogen atmosphere. The extent of the fluorescence quenching of Ag NCs strongly depends on the Hg²⁺ ion concentration over a linear range from 2.0 nmol L^-1 to 3.0 μmol L^-1 . The detection limit (3σ/k) for Hg²⁺ was 0.7 nmol L^-1 . Thus, a sensitive and rapid method was developed for the detection of Hg²⁺ ions.

Copper nanocluster-based fluorescent probe for sensitive and selective detection of Hg(2+) in water and food stuff

In this study, Hg(2+) ions were found to quench the fluorescence of glutathione (GSH)-capped copper clusters (Cu NCs). The Cu NCs were prepared by a simple reduction of CuSO4 in the presence of GSH serving both as a reducing and protecting agents, and characterized by ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis), high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRTEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS). The GSH-Cu NCs displayed a small size, excellent water-dispersibility, good storage stability, good photostability and were stable in the presence of high concentrations of salt. The GSH-Cu NCs possessed strong blue fluorescence with a quantum yield of 10.6% and exhibited an excitation-independent fluorescence behavior. The zeta potential, TEM, resonance light scattering and dynamic light scattering measurements demonstrated that the Hg(2+) ion-induced aggregation of the Cu NCs contributed to the fluorescence quenching of the dispersed Cu NCs. On these findings, a sensitive and selective fluorescent probe was developed for detecting Hg(2+) in the linear range from 10nM to 10μM with a detection limit of 3.3nM (S/N=3). The proposed method has been successfully applied to determine Hg(2+) content in water sample and food stuff. The results of the proposed method were in good agreement with those obtained by a hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS).

Fluorescent silver nanoclusters for ultrasensitive determination of chromium(VI) in aqueous solution

In this work, a simple and sensitive Cr(VI) sensor is proposed based on fluorescent polyethyleneimine-stabilized Ag nanoclusters, which allows the determination over a wide concentration range of 0.1 nM-3.0 μM and with a detection limit as low as 0.04 nΜ and a good selectivity. The quenching mechanism was discussed in terms of the absorption and fluorescence spectra, suggesting that Cr(VI) is connected to Ag nanoclusters by hydrogen bond between the oxygen atom at the vertex of tetrahedron structure of Cr(VI) and the amino nitrogen of polyethyleneimine that surrounded Ag nanoclusters and electron transfer from Ag nanoclusters to highly electron-deficient Cr(VI) results in fluorescence quenching. Despite the failure to quench the fluorescence efficiently, Cr(III) can also be measured using the proposed Ag nanoclusters by being oxidized to Cr(VI) in alkaline solution (pH ∼ 9) containing H2O2. Therefore, our approach could be used to detect Cr(VI), Cr(III) and the total chromium level in aqueous solution. In addition, Cr(VI) analysis in real water samples were satisfactory, indicating this method could be practically promising for chromium measurements.

DNA stabilized Ag–Au alloy nanoclusters and their application as sensing probes for mercury ions

Metal nanoclusters (NCs) have attracted plenty of attention because of their unique properties and great application potentials.

Insights into the effect of surface ligands on the optical properties of thiolated Au25nanoclusters

Ligand shell engineering of Au nanoclusters could induce their structural distortions for generating interesting optical properties.

Thymine Functionalized Graphene Oxide for Fluorescence "Turn-off-on" Sensing of Hg2+ and I- in Aqueous Medium

Selective detection of either mercury (Hg2+) or iodide (I-) ion using fluorescence turn-on or turn-off processes is an important area of research. In spite of intensive research, simultaneous detection of both mercury and iodide using fluorescence turn-off-on processes, high sensitivity and theoretical support concerning the mechanisms are still lacking. In the present work, graphene oxide is functionalized by thymine to realize simultaneous detection of both Hg2+ and I- selectively using fluorescence turn-off-on mechanism. Ultra high sensitivity to the extent of ppb level exploiting large surface area of graphene is achieved. DFT calculations also assist to realize the detailed mechanisms involving this PL quenching and also its regain during sensing of these ions in aqueous solution.

Fast, high-yield synthesis of amphiphilic Ag nanoclusters and the sensing of Hg(2+) in environmental samples

We report the high-yield (74%) synthesis of Ag30(Capt)18 (abbreviated as Ag30) in a very time-saving fashion (half an hour). The cluster composition was determined by high-resolution mass spectrometry combined with TG analysis, and the structure was probed by 1D and 2D NMR. Interestingly, the nanoclusters can dissolve in water and methanol, as well as in most organic solvents such as ethanol, acetone, acetonitrile, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate with the assistance of acetic acid. Such a good solubility in a range of various polar solvents was not reported previously in nanoclusters' research and is important for applications. An important result from this work is that Ag30 can sense a low concentration of Hg(2+) in environmental samples (including lake water and soil solution), indicating that Ag30 can be a potential colorimetric probe for Hg(2+). The sensing mechanism was revealed to be related to the anti-galvanic reduction process.

Engineering noble metal nanomaterials for environmental applications

Besides being valuable assets in our daily lives, noble metals (namely, gold, silver, and platinum) also feature many intriguing physical and chemical properties when their sizes are reduced to the nano- or even subnano-scale; such assets may significantly increase the values of the noble metals as functional materials for tackling important societal issues related to human health and the environment. Among which, designing/engineering of noble metal nanomaterials (NMNs) to address challenging issues in the environment has attracted recent interest in the community. In general, the use of NMNs for environmental applications is highly dependent on the physical and chemical properties of NMNs. Such properties can be readily controlled by tailoring the attributes of NMNs, including their size, shape, composition, and surface. In this feature article, we discuss recent progress in the rational design and engineering of NMNs with particular focus on their applications in the field of environmental sensing and catalysis. The development of functional NMNs for environmental applications is highly interdisciplinary, which requires concerted efforts from the communities of materials science, chemistry, engineering, and environmental science.

Colorimetric detection of iron ions (III) based on the highly sensitive plasmonic response of the N-acetyl-L-cysteine-stabilized silver nanoparticles

We report here a facile colorimetric sensor based on the N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NALC)-stabilized Ag nanoparticles (NALC-Ag NPs) for detection of Fe(3+) ions in aqueous solution. The Ag NPs with an average diameter of 6.55±1.0 nm are successfully synthesized through a simple method using sodium borohydride as reducing agent and N-acetyl-L-cysteine as protecting ligand. The synthesized silver nanoparticles show a strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) around 400 nm and the SPR intensity decreases with the increasing of Fe(3+) concentration in aqueous solution. Based on the linear relationship between SPR intensity and concentration of Fe(3+) ions, the as-synthesized water-soluble silver nanoparticles can be used for the sensitive and selective detection of Fe(3+) ions in water with a linear range from 80 nM to 80 μM and a detection limit of 80 nM. On the basis of the experimental results, a new detection mechanism of oxidation-reduction reaction between Ag NPs and Fe(3+) ions is proposed, which is different from previously reported mechanisms. Moreover, the NALC-Ag NPs could be applied to the detection of Fe(3+) ions in real environmental water samples.

Exploring metal nanoclusters for lithium-oxygen batteries

α-MnO2 nanowires modified with dispersed poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-protected Au and Ag nanoclusters (Au-MnO2 and Ag-MnO2) were used for the first time as hybrid oxygen electrocatalysts for nonaqueous lithium-oxygen batteries. The Au-MnO2 and Ag-MnO2 hybrid catalysts surpassed the performance of pristine α-MnO2 nanowires in full-cell tests in the following order: Au-MnO2 > Ag-MnO2 > pristine α-MnO2. Specifically, cells with the Au-MnO2 catalyst could reduce the discharge/charge overpotentials at 100 mA g(-1) to 0.23/1.02 V and deliver discharge/charge capacities of 5784/5020 mAh g(-1). They could also be cycled for at least 60 times at the depth of discharge of 1000 mAh g(-1). The good full cell performance demonstrated the effectiveness of Au/Ag nanoclusters in promoting oxygen electrocatalysis on α-MnO2; forming discharge products with more reactive morphologies. It is therefore worthwhile to explore the use of Au and Ag nanoclusters in other catalyst systems for oxygen electrocatalysis in nonaqueous solutions.

Sensitive detection of mercury and copper ions by fluorescent DNA/Ag nanoclusters in guanine-rich DNA hybridization

In this work, we designed a new fluorescent oligonucleotides-stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNA/AgNCs) probe for sensitive detection of mercury and copper ions. This probe contains two tailored DNA sequence. One is a signal probe contains a cytosine-rich sequence template for AgNCs synthesis and link sequence at both ends. The other is a guanine-rich sequence for signal enhancement and link sequence complementary to the link sequence of the signal probe. After hybridization, the fluorescence of hybridized double-strand DNA/AgNCs is 200-fold enhanced based on the fluorescence enhancement effect of DNA/AgNCs in proximity of guanine-rich DNA sequence. The double-strand DNA/AgNCs probe is brighter and stable than that of single-strand DNA/AgNCs, and more importantly, can be used as novel fluorescent probes for detecting mercury and copper ions. Mercury and copper ions in the range of 6.0-160.0 and 6-240 nM, can be linearly detected with the detection limits of 2.1 and 3.4 nM, respectively. Our results indicated that the analytical parameters of the method for mercury and copper ions detection are much better than which using a single-strand DNA/AgNCs.