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One-step synthesis of amine-functionalized fluorescent silicon nanoparticles for copper(II) ion detection

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Abstract

Amine-functionalized silicon nanoparticles (A-SiNPs) with intense green fluorescence and photostability are synthesized via a one-step, low-cost hydrothermal method under mild conditions using 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) as a silicon source and L-ascorbic acid (AA) as a reducing reagent. The amine-rich surface not only improves water dispersability and stability of the A-SiNPs but also offers a specific copper(II) ion (Cu2+) coordination capability. The as-prepared A-SiNPs can be directly employed for Cu2+ detection in “turn-off” mode, resulting from Cu2+ coordination-induced fluorescence quenching effect. Under optimal conditions, Cu2+ detection was accomplished with a linear range from 1 to 500 μM and a limit of detection (LOD) at 0.1 μM, which was much lower than the maximum level (~ 20 μM) of Cu2+ in drinking water permitted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In addition, the A-SiNPs were successfully used to detect Cu2+ in spiked river water, demonstrating its good selectivity and potential application for analysis of surface water samples.

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Funding

This work is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 21475106), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant XDJK2016A010, XDJK2018B004), Chongqing Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Technologies of Clean Energies (Grant cstc2011pt), and Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Micro-Nano Biomedical Materials and Devices, Southwest University, China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key laboratory of Luminescent and Real-Time Analytical Chemistry (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, Institute for Clean Energy and Advanced Materials, School of Materials and Energy, Southwest University, No. 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China

    Yunqi Wang, Meiling Tian, Wenyue Xie, Chang Ming Li & Yingshuai Liu

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  1. Yunqi Wang
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  2. Meiling Tian
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  3. Wenyue Xie
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  4. Chang Ming Li
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Correspondence to Chang Ming Li or Yingshuai Liu.

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Wang, Y., Tian, M., Xie, W. et al. One-step synthesis of amine-functionalized fluorescent silicon nanoparticles for copper(II) ion detection. Anal Bioanal Chem 411, 6419–6426 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-019-02020-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-019-02020-9

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