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Naked eye colorimetric multifunctional sensing of nitrobenzene, Cr(VI) and Fe(III) with a new green emission Ag6S6 multi-metal-cluster

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Abstract

With the increasing need of detecting chemical pollutants, modern analytical instruments show many advantages but also have some common drawbacks such as high operational cost and tedious pretreatment procedures. Thus, developing a fast, simple, and convenient colorimetric sensing system is a challenge. Here, a new Ag6S6 cluster-based coordination compound formulated as Ag6(dmpymt)6 (1) (Hdmpymt = 4,6-dimethylpyrimidine-2-thione) was synthesized under solvothermal condition and displayed apparently green luminescence emission and good stabilities in water and some organic solvents. Fluorescence experiments illustrated that 1 displayed efficiently naked eye colorimetric sensing for nitrobenzene (NB), Cr(VI), and Fe(III) ions by fluorescence quenching in the emulsions. The possible sensing mechanisms are attributed to the competitive absorption of excitation wavelength energy between the analytes and the compound 1. Furthermore, the fluorescent test papers of 1 were prepared as well and showed efficient, convenient, and easily recycled characteristics, presenting a potential sensing application for the environmental concerns.

A new Ag6S6 multi-metal-cluster-based luminescent test papers display efficiently naked eye colorimetric sensing of nitrobenzene, Cr(VI) and Fe(III).

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no: 21201155 and 51272239), the Natural Science Young Scholars Foundation of Shanxi Province (no: 2012021007-5 and 2013021008-6), Program for the Top Young Academic Leaders of Higher Learning Institutions of Shanxi, and 131 Talent Plan of Higher Learning Institutions of Shanxi.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, North University of China, Taiyuan, 030051, Shanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Rui-Sha Zhou, Zhi-Zhu Lin, Li-Dong Xin & Jiang-Feng Song

  2. Integrated Composites Laboratory (ICL), Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

    Jiang-Feng Song & Zhanhu Guo

  3. National Engineering Research Center for Advanced Polymer Processing Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, People’s Republic of China

    Hu Liu

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  1. Rui-Sha Zhou
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  2. Zhi-Zhu Lin
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  3. Li-Dong Xin
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  4. Jiang-Feng Song
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  5. Hu Liu
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  6. Zhanhu Guo
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Correspondence to Rui-Sha Zhou, Jiang-Feng Song or Zhanhu Guo.

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Zhou, RS., Lin, ZZ., Xin, LD. et al. Naked eye colorimetric multifunctional sensing of nitrobenzene, Cr(VI) and Fe(III) with a new green emission Ag6S6 multi-metal-cluster. Adv Compos Hybrid Mater 1, 785–796 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42114-018-0061-2

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