Fluorescence quenching for chloramphenicol detection in milk based on protein-stabilized Au nanoclusters

In the present study, we report a simple and rapid method for sensitive and selective determination of chloramphenicol (CAP) based on fluorescence of bovine serum albumin-stabilized Au nanoclusters (BSA-AuNCs). The BSA-AuNCs exhibit strong red emission. Upon addition of CAP to BSA-AuNCs, the fluorescence intensity of AuNCs shows a dramatic decrease attributing to the photo-induced electron transfer process from the electrostatically attached CAP to the BSA-AuNCs. The effects of pH, amount of BSA-AuNCs, temperature and reaction time on the detection of chloramphenicol were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, trace amounts of CAP could be detected. The linear working range is 0.10-70.00 mu M with a detection limit 33 nM (S/N = 3). In addition, the proposed method has been successfully applied to the detection of CAP in milk samples and largely improves the application of spectral method for quantitative analysis of CAP. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.