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A sensitive chemiluminescence method for the determination of cysteine based on silver nanoclusters

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Abstract

We have developed a sensitive chemiluminescent (CL) assay for cysteine. It is based on the use of water-soluble and fluorescent silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs) which are found to be able to strongly enhance the weak CL signal resulting from the redox reaction between Ce(IV) ion and sulfite ion. This enhancement is inhibited by cysteine under appropriate conditions. Taking advantage of this specific CL inhibition, a novel CL method for the sensitive and selective detection of cysteine was developed. This effect is interpreted in terms of an electronic energy transfer from excited state intermediate sulfur dioxide (originating from the CL reaction between Ce(IV) and sulfite ions) to the Ag-NCs. The latter become electronically excited and thus can act as a new source of emission. The method was applied to the determination of cysteine in the range from 5.0 nM to 1.0 μM, with a detection limit at 2.5 nM (S/N = 3).

In the presence of Ag NCs that can act as luminophors and energy acceptors, the weak CL signal resulting from the redox reaction between Ce (IV) ion and sulfite ion can be significantly enhanced, and this enhanced CL system can then be inhibited by cysteine under suitable conditions

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Taishan Scholar Program of Shangdong Province, China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, People’s Republic of China

    Xijuan Yu, Qiujin Wang, Xiangnan Liu & Xiliang Luo

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  1. Xijuan Yu
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  2. Qiujin Wang
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  3. Xiangnan Liu
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  4. Xiliang Luo
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Correspondence to Xiliang Luo.

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Yu, X., Wang, Q., Liu, X. et al. A sensitive chemiluminescence method for the determination of cysteine based on silver nanoclusters. Microchim Acta 179, 323–328 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-012-0893-3

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