ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Acid red G stabilized blue fluorescent copper nanoclusters for the detection of tetracycline

De Xing Chen and Yun Fei Long

Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Function Molecule, Ministry of Education, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials for New Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, People’s Republic of China

E-mail: l_yunfei927@163.com

Received: 20 March 2025  Accepted: 7 July 2025

Abstract:

In this paper, a novel copper nanoclusters (ARG-CuNCs) has been synthesized by Acid red G stabilized. The optimal excitation wavelength of the synthesized ARG-CuNCs is 330 nm, and a corresponding emission peak is 426 nm. Notably, the fluorescence intensity of ARG-CuNCs could be stablized over six months, and it exhibits minimal variation within the pH range of 2.21–11.58, indicating exceptional stability of the synthesized copper nanoclusters. It was observed that tetracycline (TC) effectively quenches the fluorescence intensity of ARG-CuNCs, and the relative fluorescence intensity change (Q = F₀/F) exhibiting a linear relationship with the concentration of TC in the range of 1.0–110.0 µmol/L, and the detection limit (LOD) is 0.33 µmol/L. Thus, a fluorescence-based analytical method for determining TC concentration has been developed based on the relationship of the Q value with the concentration of TC. Furthermore, leveraging a smartphone and colorimetric analysis software, a novel visual quantitative detection method for TC detection has been established based on the image of the mixture solution (TC and ARG-CuNCs) under the 365 nm ultraviolet lamp irradiation, and using ARG-CuNCs as a fluorescence probe.

Graphical abstract

Keywords: Copper nanoclusters; Fluorescent probe; Tetracycline; Acid red G; Immediate visual detection

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04244-9

Chemical Papers 79 (10) 7041–7051 (2025)