title: Polyethyleneimine-templated copper nanoclusters via ascorbic acid reduction approach as ferric ion sensor.
abstract: In this report we reported a facile one-pot method for synthesis of water-soluble and stable fluorescent CuNCs at room temperature, in which branched polyethyleneimine (BPEI) served as capping scaffold and ascorbic acid as reducing agent. The prepared BPEI-CuNCs exhibited excellent properties such as good water-solubility, photostability and high stability toward high ionic strength. Based on the electron transfer induced fluorescence quenching mechanism, this fluorescence probe was used for the sensitive and selective determination of ferric ions (Fe(3+)) in aqueous solution. The limit of detection was 340 nM in the linear range of 0.5-1000 μM, which was lower than the maximum level of Fe(3+) permitted in drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The method was successfully applied to the detection of Fe(3+) in tap water, Yellow River water and human urine samples with the quantitative spike recoveries ranging from 95.3% to 112.0%.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
authors.forename: Yuyun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
authors.forename: Juanjuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
authors.forename: Huige
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Chemistry and Resources Utilization of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China. Electronic address: chenxg@lzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xingguo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D057230:Limit of Detection; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000737:chemistry*; D014481:United States; D014484:United States Environmental Protection Agency
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D011094:Polyethyleneimine; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
keywords: Copper nanoclusters; Electron transfer; Ferric ions sensor; Fluorescence quenching