Analytical Sciences


Abstract − Analytical Sciences, 35(4), 367 (2019).

Detection of Tetracycline in Water Using Glutathione-protected Fluorescent Gold Nanoclusters
Dongri LIU, Xiaoyi PAN, Wei MU, Chao LI, and Xiaojun HAN
State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, 92 West Da-Zhi Street, Harbin 150001, China
Tetracycline (Tc), a widely used antibiotic, is one of the major pollutants in water. Herein, glutathione (GSH)-protected Au nanoclusters (GSH-AuNCs) were prepared to detect Tc. The fluorescence quenching ratio of GSH-AuNCs shows an excellent linear response against tetracycline in the concentration range of 50 μg/L – 50 mg/L with the detection limit of 5.31 μg/L. For the test paper prepared by GSH-AuNCs, 1 mg/L Tc caused a significant difference that could be recognized by the naked eye. The method exhibited good selectivity and excellent recovery when applied to a tap water sample. The method has the potential for Tc detection in real samples.