title: Cytidine-stabilized gold nanocluster as a fluorescence turn-on and turn-off probe for dual functional detection of Ag(+) and Hg(2+).
abstract: In this study, we have developed a label-free, dual functional detection strategy for highly selective and sensitive determination of aqueous Ag(+) and Hg(2+) by using cytidine stabilized Au NCs and AuAg NCs as fluorescent turn-on and turn off probes, respectively. The Au NCs and AuAg NCs showed a remarkably rapid response and high selectivity for Ag(+) and Hg(2+) over other metal ions, and relevant detection limit of Ag(+) and Hg(2+) is ca. 10 nM and 30 nM, respectively. Importantly, the fluorescence enhanced Au NCs by doping Ag(+) can be conveniently reusable for the detection of Hg(2+) based on the corresponding fluorescence quenching. The sensing mechanism was based on the high-affinity metallophilic Hg(2+)-Ag(+) interaction, which effectively quenched the fluorescence of AuAg NCs. Furthermore, these fluorescent nanoprobes could be readily applied to Ag(+) and Hg(2+) detection in environmental water samples, indicating their possibility to be utilized as a convenient, dual functional, rapid response, and label-free fluorescence sensor for related environmental and health monitoring.
authors.affiliation: State Key Lab of Bioelectronics (Chien-Shiung Wu Laboratory), Southeast University, No. 2 Sipailou, Nanjing 210096, PR China.
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Lab of Bioelectronics (Chien-Shiung Wu Laboratory), Southeast University, No. 2 Sipailou, Nanjing 210096, PR China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: State Key Lab of Bioelectronics (Chien-Shiung Wu Laboratory), Southeast University, No. 2 Sipailou, Nanjing 210096, PR China. Electronic address: xuewang@seu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D003562:Cytidine / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D060106:Lakes / Q000737:chemistry; D057230:Limit of Detection; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012834:Silver / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D012834:Silver; D003562:Cytidine; D006046:Gold; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Fluorescence; Gold nanocluster; Lake water; Mercury ion; Reusable sensor; Silver ion