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Synthesis of biocompatible AuAgS/Ag2S nanoclusters and their applications in photocatalysis and mercury detection

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Abstract

In this paper, a facile approach for preparation of AuAgS/Ag2S nanoclusters was developed. The unique AuAgS/Ag2S nanoclusters capped with biomolecules exhibit interesting excellent optical and catalytic properties. The fluorescent AuAgS/Ag2S nanoclusters show tunable luminescence depending on the nanocluster size. The apoptosis assay demonstrated that the AuAgS/Ag2S nanoclusters showed low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility. Therefore, the nanoclusters can be used not only as a probe for labeling cells but also for their photocatalytic activity for photodegradation of organic dye. Moreover, a highly selective and sensitive assay for detection of mercury including Hg2+ and undissociated mercury complexes was developed based on the quenching fluorescent AuAgS/Ag2S nanoclusters, which provides a promising approach for determining various forms of Hg in the mercury-based compounds in environment. These unique nanoclusters may have potential applications in biological labeling, sensing mercury, and photodegradation of various organic pollutants in waste water.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (21375036), National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, 2012CB933600), Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (14JJ7054), and the Innovation Platform Open Funds for Universities in Hunan Province (13K090). Shanghai Science and Technology R&D Fund under Grant 11JC1413700 and 13441902400 is acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Function Molecule, Ministry of Education, Hunan Provincial University Key Laboratory of QSAR/QSPR, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, China

    Qian Zhao, Shenna Chen, Lingyang Zhang, Haowen Huang & Fengping Liu

  2. State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China

    Shenna Chen & Xuanyong Liu

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  1. Qian Zhao
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  2. Shenna Chen
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  3. Lingyang Zhang
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  4. Haowen Huang
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  5. Fengping Liu
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  6. Xuanyong Liu
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Correspondence to Haowen Huang or Xuanyong Liu.

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Zhao, Q., Chen, S., Zhang, L. et al. Synthesis of biocompatible AuAgS/Ag2S nanoclusters and their applications in photocatalysis and mercury detection. J Nanopart Res 16, 2793 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-014-2793-4

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