White emission magnetic nanoparticles as chemosensors for sensitive colorimetric and ratiometric detection, and degradation of ClO⁻ and SCN⁻ in aqueous solutions based on a logic gate approach.

Lihua Zhi, Zhiyi Wang, Jian Liu, Weisheng Liu, Haoli Zhang, Fengjuan Chen, Baodui Wang

Index: Nanoscale 7 , 11712-9, (2015)

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Abstract

Fluorescent chemosensors for detecting single anions have been largely synthesized. However, the simultaneous detection and degradation of multiple anions remain a major challenge. Herein we report the synthesis of a white emission nanoprobe on the basis of a Coumarin-Rhodamine CR1-Eu complex coordinated to dipicolinic acid (dpa)-PEG-Fe3O4 nanoparticles for the selective detection of ClO(-) and SCN(-) ions on controlling by a logic gate. The obtained nanoprobe exhibits three individual primary colors (blue, green, and red) as well as white emission at different excitation energies. Interestingly, this nanoprobe shows a marked rose red to violet emission color change in response to ClO(-), a reversible violet to rose red emission color change in response to SCN(-), and high ClO(-) and SCN(-) selectivity and sensitivity with a detection limit of 0.037 and 0.250 nM, respectively. Furthermore, the SCN(-) and ClO(-) can degrade simultaneously through the redox reaction between ClO(-) and SCN(-).