Poly(sodium-p-styrenesulfonate)-enhanced fluorescent silver nanoclusters for the assay of two food flavors and silicic acid

A water-soluble, long-term stable, poly(sodium-p-styrenesulfonate)-enhanced and d -penicillamine stabilized argentum nanoclusters (PSS-DPA-AgNCs) was synthesized by a one-step ultraviolet radiation combined with microwave heating method. The effects of different types of polyelectrolytes and energy suppliers on the AgNCs photo-luminescence performance were investigated in detail. The prepared AgNCs are exhibited to be viable fluorescent method for 2-Mercapto-3-butanol (2-M-3-B), 3-Mercapto-2-butanone (3-M-2-B) and silicate (SiO 3 2− ) determinations. The fluorescence (FL) of PSS-DPA-AgNCs is quenched with the addition of 2-M-3-B/3-M-2-B/SiO 3 2− mainly originating from a static quenching process. The method can monitor 2-M-3-B/3-M-2-B by fluorometry with a linear response in the range of 0.33–90.0/0.33–80.0 μM and a 74/250 nM detection limit (at 3σ/slope). For the SiO 3 2− assay, corresponding data are 3.33–100.0 μM and 278 nM. Moreover, the proposed method was successfully used for the assays of two food flavors in the steamed bread and soda drinks, and silicate in the mineral water samples respectively.