Sensitive detection of cysteine based on fluorescent silver clusters

In this work,we report the application of novel, water-soluble fluorescent Ag clusters in fluorescent sensors for detecting cysteine, an important biological analyte. The fluorescence of poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA)templated Ag clusters was found to be quenched effectively by cysteine, but not when the other alpha-amino acids were present. By virtue of the specific response, a new, simple, and sensitive fluorescent method for detecting cysteine has been developed based on Ag clusters. The present assay allows for the selective determination of cysteine in the range of 2.5 x 10(-8) to 6.0 x 10(-6) M with a detection limit of 20 nM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Based on the absorption and fluorescence studies, we suggested that cysteine quenched the emission by the thiol-adsorption-accelerated oxidation of the emissive Ag clusters. The present study shows a promising step toward the application of silver clusters, a new class of attractive fluorescence probes.

Turn-on fluorescent detection of cyanide based on the inner filter effect of silver nanoparticles

A simple, sensitive fluorescent method for detecting cyanide has been developed based on the inner filter effect (IFE) of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). With a high extinction coefficient and tunable plasmon absorption feature, Ag NPs are expected to be a powerful absorber to tune the emission of the fluorophore in the IFE-based fluorescent assays. In the present work, we developed a turn-on fluorescent assay for cyanide based on the strong absorption of Ag NPs to both excitation and emission light of an isolated fluorescence indicator. In the presence of cyanide, the absorber Ag NPs will dissolve gradually, which then leads to recovery of the IFE-decreased emission of the fluorophore. The concentration of Ag NPs in the detection system was found to affect the fluorescence response toward cyanide greatly. Under the optimum conditions, the present IFE-based approach can detect cyanide ranging from 5.0 x 10 (7) to 6.0 x 10 (4) M with a detection limit of 2.5 x 10 (7) M, which is much lower than the corresponding absorbance-based approach and compares favorably with other reported fluorescent methods.

Characterization and optimization of AuNPs labeled by Raman reporters on glass based on silver enhancement

In this report, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) labeled by Raman reporters (AuNPs-R6G) were assembled on glass and used as the seeds to in situ grow silver-coated nanostructures based on silver enhancer solution, forming the nanostructures of AuNPs-R6G@Ag, which were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-visible spectroscopy. More importantly, the obtained silver-coated nanostructures can be used as a surface enhancement Raman scattering (SERS) substrate. The different SERS activities can be controlled by the silver deposition time and assembly time of AuNPs-R6G on glass. The results indicate that the maximum SERS activity could be obtained on AuNPs-R6G when these nanostructures were assembled on glass for 2 h with silver deposition for 2 min.

Synthesis of different gold nanostructures by solar radiation and their SERS spectroscopy

In this article, a simple and novel photochemical synthesis of different gold nanostructures is proposed using solar radiation. This method is rapid, convenient and of low cost, and can be performed under ambient conditions. By adjusting the concentration of sodium acetate (NaAc), different morphologies of the products can be easily obtained. Without NaAc, the products obtained are mainly polyhedral gold particles; lower concentration of NaAc (0.05 and 0.1 M) accelerates the formation of flowerlike gold nanostructures; while higher concentration of NaAc (0.5 M) facilitates the formation of a variety of gold nanowires and nanobelts. It is found that the morphology change of gold nanaostructures is the result of the synergistic effect of poly(diallyl dimethylammonium) chloride (PDDA), Ac- ions, and the pH value. In addition, the different gold nanostructures thus obtained were used as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with p-aminothiophenol (p-ATP) as the probe molecule.

One-dimensional CaWO4 and CaWO4:Tb3+ nanowires and nanotubes: electrospinning preparation and luminescent properties

One-dimensional CaWO4 and CaWO4:Tb3+ nanowires and nanotubes have been prepared by a combination method of sol-gel process and electrospinning. X-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), photoluminescence (PL), low voltage cathodoluminescence (CL) and time-resolved emission spectra, as well as kinetic decays were used to characterize the resulting samples. The results of XRD, FT-IR, TG-DTA indicate that the CaWO4 and CaWO4: Tb3+ samples begin to crystallize at 500 degrees C with the scheelite structure. Under ultraviolet excitation and low-voltage electron beams excitation, the CaWO4 samples exhibit a blue emission band with a maximum at 416 nm originating from the WO42- groups, while the CaWO4:Tb3+ samples show the characteristic emission of Tb3+ corresponding to (D4-F6,5,4,3)-D-5-F-7 transitions due to an efficient energy transfer from WO42- to Tb3+.

Rare Earth Fluorides Nanowires/Nanorods Derived from Hydroxides: Hydrothermal Synthesis and Luminescence Properties

In this paper, we reported the synthesis of nearly monodisperse and well-defined one-dimensional (1D) rare earth fluoride(beta-NaREF4) (RE = Y, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho) nanowires/nanorods by in situ acid corrosion and anion exchange approach using RE(OH)(3) as precursors via a facile hydrothermal route. X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM). high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and photoluminescence(PL)spectroscopy were used to characterize the samples. The results show that the as-prepared rare earth fluoride (beta-NaREF4) nanowires/nanorods preserve the basic morphology of the initial RE(OH)(3) precursors.

Efficient preparation of silver nanoplates assisted by non-polar solvents

In the paper, we report an efficient method to prepare high yield (up to 97%) of silver nanoplates. Synthesis of silver nanoplates was carried Out in a binary solvent system of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and toluene, in which DMF served as the reductant and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the capping agent. By increasing the ratio of toluene to DMF to 7:6, silver nanoplates can be Successfully synthesized; otherwise other shaped nanoparticles would be the major products. The nanoplate sample was characterized by TEM, HRTEM, SAED, XRD, AFM and UV-visible spectroscopy, proving the high nanoplate purity of this sample. The influence of toluene content, other solvents, AgNO3 concentration, preparation temperature and chloride ions was also examined, which suggests that the function of nonpolar solvents in this system is to enhance the PVP coverage on silver surface and, furthermore, to facilitate the preferential adsorption of PVP on two (I I I) facets of silver nanoplates.

Facile Hydrothermal Synthesis and Luminescent Properties of Large-Scale GdVO4:Eu3+ Nanowires

Large-scale GdVO4:Eu3+ nanowires with diameters of about 15 nm and lengths of several micrometers were achieved by a facile hydrothermal method in the presence of disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate (Na2H2L). The influences of several parameters, such as pH value, reaction temperature, and molar ratio of Na2H2L to Gd3+ on the final products were investigated. The formation mechanism of the as-obtained GdVO4:Eu3+ nanowires is proposed on the basis of time-dependent experiments. It is found that the organic additive Na2H2L, which acts as a shape modifier, has a dynamic effect by adjusting the growth rates of different facets, resulting in the formation of the GdVO4:Eu3+ nanowires. The luminescent spectrum of GdVO4:Eu3+ nanowires shows the strong characteristic dominant emission of the Eu3+ ions at 614 nm.

Facile chemical conversion synthesis and luminescence properties of uniform Ln3+ (Ln = Eu, Tb)-doped NaLuF4 nanowires and LuBO3 microdisks

Uniform NaLuF(4) nanowires and LuBO(3) microdisks have been successfully prepared by a designed chemical conversion method. The lutetium precursor nanowires were first prepared through a simple hydrothermal process. Subsequently, uniform NaLuF(4) nanowires and LuBO(3) microdisks were synthesized at the expense of the precursor by a hydrothermal conversion process. The whole process was carried out in aqueous condition without any organic solvents, surfactant, or catalyst. The conversion processes from precursor to the final products have been investigated in detail. The as-obtained Eu(3+) and Tb(3+)-doped LuBO(3) microdisks and NaLuF(4) nanowires show strong characteristic red and green emissions under ultraviolet excitation or low-voltage electron beam excitation. Moreover, the luminescence colors of the Eu(3+) and Tb(3+) codoped LuBO(3) samples can be tuned from red, orange, yellow, and green-yellow to green by simply adjusting the relative doping concentrations of the activator ions under a single wavelength excitation, which might find potential applications in the fields such as light display systems and optoelectronic devices.

Uniform Lanthanide Orthoborates LnBO(3) (Ln = Gd, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, and Dy) Microplates: General Synthesis and Luminescence Properties

A variety of uniform lanthanide orthoborates LnBO(3) (Ln = Gd, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, and Dy) microplates have been successfully prepared by a general and facile conversion method. One-dimensional (ID) lanthanide hydroxides were first prepared through a simple hydrothermal process. Subsequently, uniform LnBO(3) microplates were synthesized at the expense of the ID precursors during a hydrothermal conversion process. The whole process in this method was carried out in aqueous condition without the use of any organic solvents, surfactant, or catalyst. The as-obtained rare earth ions doped GdBO3 and TbBO3 microplates show strong light emissions with different colors coming from different activator ions under ultraviolet excitation or low-voltage electron beam excitation, which might find potential applications in fields such as light phosphor powders and advanced flat panel display devices.

Electrochemical preparation of silver nanostructure on the planar surface for application in metal-enhanced fluorescence

We introduce a fast and simple method, named the potentiostatic electrodeposition technique, to deposit metal particles on the planar surface for application in metal-enhanced fluorescence. The as-prepared metallic surfaces were comprised of silver nanostructures and displayed a relatively homogeneous morphology. Atomic force microscopy and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy were used to characterize the growth process of the silver nanostructures on the indium tin oxide (ITO) surfaces. A typical 20-fold enhancement in the intensity of a nearby fluorophore, [Ru(bpy)(3)](2+), could be achieved on the silvered surfaces. In addition, the photostability of [Ru(bpy)(3)](2+) was found to be greatly increased due to the modification of the radiative decay rate of the fluorophore. It is expected that this electrochemical approach to fabricating nanostructured metallic surfaces can be further utilized in enhanced fluorescence-based applications.

Silver nanoparticles coated with adenine: preparation, self-assembly and application in surface-enhanced Raman scattering

We describe herein the preparation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using nucleobase adenine as protecting agent through the in situ chemical reduction of AgNO3 with NaBH4 in an aqueous medium at room temperature. As-prepared AgNPs were characterized by UV-visible spectra, transmission electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. All these data confirmed the formation of AgNPs. On the basis of electrostatic interactions between as-prepared AgNPs and anionic polyelectrolyte poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS), we successfully fabricated (PSS/AgNP)n (n = 0-9) multilayers on a 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane/AgNP functionalized indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate via the layer-by-layer self-assembly technique and characterized as-formed multilayers with UV-visible spectra. Furthermore, these ITO substrates coated with multilayers of different thickness were investigated as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrates using p-aminothiophenol as a probe molecule, implying that these multilayers substrates may be promising for a new type of SERS-active substrate.

Silver(I) ions-enhanced electrochemiluminescence of tris(2,2-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II)

In this paper. we demonstrate an clectrochemiluminescence (ECL) enhancement of tris(2,2-bipyridyl)rutheniuin(II) (Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)) by the addition of silver(l) ions. The maximum enhancement factor of about 5 was obtained on a glassy carbon electrode in the absence of co-reactant. The enhancement of ECL intensity was possibly attributed to the unique catalytic activity of Ag+ for reactions between Ru(bpy)(3)(3+) with OR The higher enhancement was observed in phosphate buffer solutions compared with that from borate buffer solutions. This resulted from the fact that formation of nanoparticles with large surface area in the phosphate buffer solution exhibited high catalytic activity. The amount of Ag+, solution pH and working electrode materials played important roles for the ECL enhancement. We also studied the effects of Ag+ on Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)/tripropylamine and Ru(bpy)(3)(2+)/C2O42- ECL systems.