A turn-on fluorescence sensor for cyanide from mechanochemical reactions between quantum dots and copper complexes

Manual grinding of CuCl2, 2,2'- bipyridine and hydrophobic CdSe QDs creates a selective and fast turn-on fluorescence sensor for detection of nanogram quantities of solid cyanide salts by the naked-eye. Using a fluorescence detector this simple sensor detects 100 ppm of NaCN in sand.