Enhanced chemiluminescence of the fluorescein-KIO4 system by CdTe quantum dots for determination of catechol

In this paper, a novel chemiluminescence (CL) system was introduced based on the use of CdTe quantum dots (QDs) with the mixture solutions of fluorescein and potassium periodate (KIO4) in alkaline medium. The CL signal of an ultra-weak system was strongly enhanced in the presence of QDs. The application of CdTe QDs-fluorescein-KIO4 system is reported for the first time. It was found that catechol had a diminishing effect on the CL reaction. Under optimal experimental conditions, CL intensity decreased linearly in a 1 to 100M catechol concentration range, with a 0.18M detection limit. A possible reaction mechanism was proposed according to the results of kinetic analyses, CL spectra, ultraviolet-visible and fluorescence spectra. The results pointed to an efficient energy transfer between the CL energy donor CdTe QDs and acceptor fluorescein. Finally, the CL method was successfully applied to the determination of catechol in environmental water samples.