D-penicillamine-templated copper nanoparticles via ascorbic acid reduction as a mercury ion sensor

• Published in: Talanta (Oxford) Vol. 151; pp. 106 - 113
• Main Authors: Lin, Shu Min, Geng, Shuo, Li, Na, Li, Nian Bing, Luo, Hong Qun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.05.2016
• Subjects: Ascorbic acid; Ascorbic Acid - chemistry; Ascorbic Acid - metabolism; Assaying; Biosensing Techniques - methods; Chemical sensors; Copper; Copper - chemistry; Copper nanoparticles; D-penicillamine; Fluorescence; Fresh Water - analysis; Humans; Mercury (metal); Mercury - analysis; Mercury - chemistry; Mercury ion; Metal Nanoparticles - chemistry; Metal Nanoparticles - ultrastructure; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Nanoparticles; Oxidation-Reduction; Penicillamine - chemistry; Reduction (chemical); Reproducibility of Results; Rivers - chemistry; Slopes; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Water - analysis; Water Supply; Mercury ion; Fluorescence; Chemical sensors; Copper nanoparticles; D-penicillamine
• ISSN: 0039-9140; 1873-3573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2016.01.028

Mercury ion is one of the most hazardous metal pollutants that can cause deleterious effects on human health and the environment even at low concentrations. It is necessary to develop new mercury detection methods with high sensitivity, specificity and rapidity. In this study, a novel and green strategy for synthesizing D-penicillamine-capped copper nanoparticles (DPA-CuNPs) was successfully established by a chemical reduction method, in which D-penicillamine and ascorbic acid were used as stabilizing agent and reducing agent, respectively. The as-prepared DPA-CuNPs showed strong red fluorescence and had a large Stoke's shift (270nm). Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry were utilized to elucidate the possible fluorescence mechanism, which could be aggregation-induced emission effect. Based on the phenomenon that trace mercury ion can disperse the aggregated DPA-CuNPs, resulting in great fluorescence quench of the system, a sensitive and selective assay for mercury ion in aqueous solution with the DPA-CuNPs was developed. Under optimum conditions, this assay can be applied to the quantification of Hg2+ in the 1.0–30μM concentration range and the detection limit (3σ/slope) is 32nM. The method was successfully applied to determine Hg2+ in real water samples. [Display omitted] •A facile fluorescent sensor for detection of Hg2+ based on DPA-CuNPs was fabricated.•Preparation of the DPA-CuNPs with strong fluorescence is very simple and low-cost.•Hg2+ can disperse the aggregated DPA-CuNPs, leading to the fluorescence quenching.•The method shows high sensitivity and selectivity for Hg2+ detection.