Trypsin-Stabilized Fluorescent Gold Nanocluster for Sensitive and Selective Hg2+ Detection

Hideya KAWASAKI; Kouta YOSHIMURA; Kenji HAMAGUCHI; Ryuichi ARAKAWA

doi:10.2116/analsci.27.591

Original Papers

Trypsin-Stabilized Fluorescent Gold Nanocluster for Sensitive and Selective Hg²⁺ Detection

Hideya KAWASAKI, Kouta YOSHIMURA, Kenji HAMAGUCHI, Ryuichi ARAKAWA

Author information

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2011 Volume 27 Issue 6 Pages 591

DOI https://doi.org/10.2116/analsci.27.591

Details

Abstract

We report on trypsin-stabilized fluorescent gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) for the sensitive and selective detection of Hg²⁺ ions. The Au NCs have an average size of 1 nm and show a red emission at 645 nm. The photostable properties of the trypsin-stabilized Au NCs were examined, and their photochemical stability was found to be similar to that of CdSe quantum dots. The fluorescence was particularly quenched by Hg²⁺, and therefore the Au NCs can be used as fluorescent sensors for sensitive and selective Hg²⁺ detection to a detection limit of 50 ± 10 nM and the quantitative detection of Hg²⁺ in wide and low concentration range of 50 – 600 nM.

Corresponding author

Register with J-STAGE for free!