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Colorimetric determination of lead(II) or mercury(II) based on target induced switching of the enzyme-like activity of metallothionein-stabilized copper nanoclusters

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Abstract

It is shown that metallothionein-stabilized copper nanoclusters (MT-CuNCs) display catalase-like activity. In the presence of either lead(II) or mercury(II), the catalase-like activity is converted to a peroxidase-like activity. On addition of Pb(II) or Hg(II), the inhibitory effect of MT-CuNCs on the chromogenic reaction of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) with H2O2 is weakened. On the other hand, the catalytic effect of the nanoclusters on the chromogenic reaction is increased. The system MT-CuNCs-Pb(II)/Hg(II) exhibits high affinity for the substrates TMB and H2O2. Their catalytic behavior follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Based on these findings, a method was developed for visual detection (via the blue coloration formed) and spectrophotometric determination (at 450 nm) of Pb(II) and Hg(II). The linear range for Pb(II) extends from 0.7 to 96 μM, and the linear ranges for Hg(II) from 97 nM to 2.3 μM and from 3.1 μM to 15.6 μM. The detection limits are 142 nM for Pb(II) and 43.8 nM for Hg(II).

Metallothionein-stabilized copper nanoclusters (MT-CuNCs) display catalase-like activity. On addition of Pb(II) or Hg(II), the catalase-like activity is converted to a peroxidase-like activity. The latter catalyzes the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by H2O2.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81473021).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Public Health, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, People’s Republic of China

    Ran Liu, Li Zuo, Xiaorong Huang, Shimeng Liu, Guiying Yang, Shiya Li & Changyin Lv

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  1. Ran Liu
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  2. Li Zuo
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  3. Xiaorong Huang
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  4. Shimeng Liu
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  5. Guiying Yang
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  6. Shiya Li
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Correspondence to Changyin Lv.

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Liu, R., Zuo, L., Huang, X. et al. Colorimetric determination of lead(II) or mercury(II) based on target induced switching of the enzyme-like activity of metallothionein-stabilized copper nanoclusters. Microchim Acta 186, 250 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-019-3360-6

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