Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A highly selective colorimetric sulfide assay based on the inhibition of the peroxidase-like activity of copper nanoclusters

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Microchimica Acta Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The authors report that sulfide ions are capable of inhibiting the peroxidase-like activity of copper nanoclusters (CuNCs). The catalytic activity of CuNCs toward the oxidation of the chromogenic substrate 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine by H2O2 is remarkably decreased in the presence of sulfide. Based on this finding, a colorimetric assay was developed for the rapid determination of sulfide. Best operated at a wavelength of 652 nm, it has a 0.5 μM detection limit. The method is highly selective and has been successfully applied to the quantification of sulfide in environmental water samples.

The catalytic activity of CuNCs toward the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine by H2O2 is remarkably decreased in the presence of sulfide ions. This finding has been applied to design a method for colorimetric quantification of sulfide ions in environmental samples.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Scheme 1
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gale P, Caltagirone C (2015) Anion sensing by small molecules and molecular ensembles. Chem Soc Rev 44:4212–4227

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Bagarinao T (1992) Sulfide as an environmental factor and toxicant: tolerance and adaptations in aquatic organisms. Aquat Toxicol 24:21–62

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Vismann B (1996) Sulfide species and total sulfide toxicity in the shrimp Crangon crangon. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 204:141–154

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Xiong B, Peng L, Cao X, He Y, Yeung E (2015) Optical analysis of biological hydrogen sulphide: an overview of recent advancements. Analyst 140:1763–1771

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Xuan W, Sheng C, Cao Y, He W, Wang W (2012) Fluorescent probes for the detection of hydrogen sulfide in biological systems. Angew Chem Int Ed 51:2282–2284

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Pawlak Z, Pawlak A (1999) Modification of iodometric determination of total and reactive sulfide in environmental samples. Talanta 48:347–353

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Su Y, Yang S, Liu W, Qiao L, Yan J, Liu Y, Zhang S, Fang Y (2017) Visible light photoelectrochemical sulfide sensor based the use of TiO2 nanotube arrays loaded with Cu2O. Microchim Acta 184:4065–4072

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kristiana I, Heitz A, Joll C, Sathasivan A (2010) Analysis of polysulfides in drinking water distribution systems using headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 1217:5995–6001

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Wang C, Sun J, Mei H, Gao F (2017) Organic semiconductor polymer nanodots as a new kind of off-on fluorescent probe for sulfide. Microchim Acta 184:445–451

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Yu N, Peng H, Xiong H, Wu X, Wang X, Li Y, Chen L (2015) Graphene quantum dots combined with copper(II) ions as a fluorescent probe for turn-on detection of sulfide ions. Microchim Acta 182:2139–2146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Turan I, Sozmen F (2014) A chromogenic dioxetane chemosensor for hydrogen sulfide and pH dependent off-on chemiluminescence property. Sensors Actuators B Chem 201:13–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Wang X, Hu Y, Wei H (2016) Nanozymes in bionanotechnology: from sensing to therapeutics and beyond. Inorg Chem Front 3:41–60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Nasir M, Nawaz M, Latif U, Yaqub M, Hayat A, Rahim A (2017) An overview on enzyme-mimicking nanomaterials for use in electrochemical and optical assays. Microchim Acta 184:323–342

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Wei H, Wang E (2013) Nanomaterials with enzyme-like characteristics (nanozymes): next-generation artificial enzymes. Chem Soc Rev 42:6060–6093

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Lin T, Zhong L, Chen H, Li Z, Song Z, Guo L, Fu F (2017) A sensitive colorimetric assay for cholesterol based on the peroxidase-like activity of MoS2 nanosheets. Microchim Acta 184:1233–1237

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Cui W, Wang Y, Yang D, Du J (2017) Fluorometric determination of ascorbic acid by exploiting its deactivating effect on the oxidase–mimetic properties of cobalt oxyhydroxide nanosheets. Microchim Acta 184:4749–4755

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Yang H, Yang R, Zhang P, Qin Y, Chen T, Ye F (2017) A bimetallic (Co/2Fe) metal-organic framework with oxidase and peroxidase mimicking activity for colorimetric detection of hydrogen peroxide. Microchim Acta 184:4629–4635

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Shang L, Dong S, Nienhaus G (2011) Ultra-small fluorescent metal nanoclusters: synthesis and biological applications. Nano Today 6:401–418

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Chen M, Li W, Xiong H, Wen W, Zhang X, Wang S (2017) Discrimination and ultrasensitive detection of β2-agonists using copper nanoclusters as a fluorescent probe. Microchim Acta 184:3317–3324

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Tang T, Ouyang J, Hu L, Guo L, Yang M, Chen X (2016) Synthesis of peptide templated copper nanoclusters for fluorometric determination of Fe(III) in human serum. Microchim Acta 183:2831–2836

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Hu L, Yuan Y, Zhang L, Zhao J, Majeed S, Xu G (2013) Copper nanoclusters as peroxidase mimetics and their applications to H2O2 and glucose detection. Anal Chim Acta 762:83–86

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Yan Z, Niu Q, Mou M, Wu Y, Liu X, Liao S (2017) A novel colorimetric method based on copper nanoclusters with intrinsic peroxidase-like for detecting xanthine in serum samples. J Nanopart Res 19:235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Xu S, Wang Y, Zhou D, Kuang M, Fang D, Yang W, Wei S, Ma L (2016) A novel chemiluminescence sensor for sensitive detection of cholesterol based on the peroxidase-like activity of copper nanoclusters. Sci Rep 6:39157

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Zhong Y, Deng C, He Y, Ge Y, Song G (2016) Exploring a monothiolated β-cyclodextrin as the template to synthesize copper nanoclusters with exceptionally increased peroxidase-like activity. Microchim Acta 183:2823–2830

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Wang C, Ling L, Yao Y, Song Q (2015) One-step synthesis of fluorescent smart thermo-responsive copper clusters: a potential nanothermometer in living cells. Nano Res 8:1975–1986

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Wei W, Lu Y, Chen W, Chen S (2011) One-pot synthesis, photoluminescence, and electrocatalytic properties of subnanometer-sized copper clusters. J Am Chem Soc 133:2060–2063

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Koski K, Cha J, Reed B, Wessells C, Kong D, Cui Y (2012) High-density chemical intercalation of zero-valent copper into Bi2Se3 nanoribbons. J Am Chem Soc 134:7584–7587

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Jia X, Li J, Wang E (2013) Cu nanoclusters with aggregation induced emission enhancement. Small 9:3873–3879

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Hatamie A, Zargar B, Jalali A (2014) Copper nanoparticles: a new colorimetric probe for quick, naked-eye detection of sulfide ions in water samples. Talanta 121:234–238

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Deng H, Wu G, Lin X, Xu X, Liu A, Xia X, Chen W (2015) A colorimetric Boolean INHIBIT logic gate for the determination of sulfide based on citrate-capped gold nanoparticles. RSC Adv 5:58574–58579

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Chen C, Zhao D, Lu L, Yang F, Yang X (2015) A simple and rapid colorimetric sensor for sulfide anion detection based on redox reaction of ABTS with au (III). Sensors Actuators B Chem 220:1247–1253

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Liu L, Wang Y, Fu W (2017) Highly selective detection of sulfide through poisoning silver nanoparticle catalysts. Sensors Actuators B Chem 247:414–420

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Zhang J, Xu X, Yang X (2012) Highly specific colorimetric recognition and sensing of sulfide with glutathione-modified gold nanoparticle probe based on an anion-for-molecule ligand exchange reaction. Analyst 137:1556–1558

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Shanmugaraj K, Ilanchelian M (2016) Colorimetric determination of sulfide using chitosan-capped silver nanoparticles. Microchim Acta 183:1721–1728

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, 21605012), Scientific and Technological Research Program of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission (No. KJ1600301), and the Program for Top-Notch Young Innovative Talents of Chongqing Normal University (No. 02030307-00043).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chongqing Key Laboratory of Green Synthesis and Applications, College of Chemistry, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 401331, China

    Hong Liao, Lianzhe Hu, Yuzhen Zhang, Xianrong Yu, Yilin Liu & Rong Li

Authors
  1. Hong Liao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lianzhe Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yuzhen Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xianrong Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yilin Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Rong Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lianzhe Hu.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(DOCX 7433 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liao, H., Hu, L., Zhang, Y. et al. A highly selective colorimetric sulfide assay based on the inhibition of the peroxidase-like activity of copper nanoclusters. Microchim Acta 185, 143 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-018-2701-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-018-2701-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation