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A pH‐Triggered Synthesis of Blue‐Emitting Au Nanoclusters and Their Luminescence Enhancement in a Metallohydrogel: Selective Detection of Pb 2+ through Luminescence Quenching
Author(s) -
Kuppan Balamurugan,
Maitra Uday
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chemnanomat
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.947
H-Index - 32
ISSN - 2199-692X
DOI - 10.1002/cnma.201800125
Subject(s) - nanoclusters , luminescence , quenching (fluorescence) , excited state , photochemistry , fluorescence , aqueous solution , chemistry , nanoparticle , materials science , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , physics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics
Abstract The synthesis and stabilization of blue‐emitting nanoclusters (Au, Cu or Ag) are very challenging. We have developed a facile, acid‐induced protocol to synthesize blue‐emitting Au NCs ( B ‐NCs) in aqueous medium at room temperature from green‐emitting ones ( G ‐NCs). The rapid quenching of the blue emission was successfully arrested, and in fact enhanced, by the incorporation of the NCs in a bile acid derived metallohydrogel, demonstrating the special effect of the gel medium. The NCs in both solution and gel were characterized in detail using microscopic and photophysical techniques, including a detailed analysis of the excited state relaxation pathway. We have demonstrated that this NC can be switched back to G ‐NCs reversibly upon the reaction with a base. We have also shown that the B ‐NC can be efficiently applied towards detection of Pb 2+ . This simple approach towards B ‐NC synthesis and its stabilization can contribute to application of this material in LEDs, bioimaging, and energy transfer.