Flower-like Gold Nanoparticles for In Situ Tailoring Luminescent Molecules for Synergistic Enhanced Chemiluminescence

In recent years, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have attracted much attention due to their ease of surface modification, excellent biocompatibility, and extraordinary optoelectronic and catalytic activities. Herein, based on a AuNP-catalyzed reaction, a strategy for tailoring luminescent molecules in situ is proposed to trigger an ultrastrong chemiluminescence (CL). In the strategy, flower-like AuNPs are prepared using CL molecular probes (ProbeOH for NaClO/ONOO-) via one-pot synthesis and subsequently act as a tailor for Probe-OH to generate novel CL molecules, allowing a synergistic CL enhancement about 4 times that of initial Probe- OH. Furthermore, by modification with poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) on the surface, the CL signals (only for NaClO) are amplified by 100 times based on an intermolecular chemically initiated electron exchange luminescence (CIEEL) mechanism. Given the improved sensitivity and selectivity over ProbeOH, the thus-formed CIEEL nanoplatform (PVP-Au) is successfully developed for detecting NaClO in a wide range of 2.5-100 mu M, and the detection limit is 10.68 nM. This work provides unprecedented perspectives for expanding this facile and effective strategy for CL amplification based on AuNP catalysis.

Automated summary

This study presents a strategy for tailoring luminescent molecules through AuNP-catalyzed reaction, resulting in ultrastrong chemical luminescence. By modifying the surface with poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), a nanoplatform (PVP-Au) is developed for detecting NaClO with a detection limit of 10.68 nM, offering improved sensitivity and selectivity over conventional methods.