title: Silver-gold alloy nanoclusters as a fluorescence-enhanced probe for aluminum ion sensing.
abstract: In this paper, the development of a simple method is described for preparing highly red fluorescent mercaptosuccinic acid stabilized AgAu alloy nanoclusters (MSA-AgAu NCs) through the core etching of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) and a galvanic exchange reaction using nonorganic solvent and no multistep centrifuge washing. The as-prepared MSA-AgAu NCs were characterized using spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. After covalently attaching methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-NH2 (m-PEG-NH2), PEGylated MSA-AgAu NCs were still stable even in 1 M NaCl. Probably based on the deposition of Al(3+)-enhanced fluorescence, the PEGylated MSA-AgAu NCs offered highly selective and sensitive sensing of Al(3+) in aqueous solution with a detection limit of 0.8 μM.
authors.affiliation: The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University , Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China.
authors.forename: Ting-yao
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Li-ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ming-cong
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rong
authors.forename: Ya-qi
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen