Cysteamine-capped copper nanoclusters as a highly selective turn-on fluorescent assay for the detection of aluminum ions.

A new type of copper nanoclusters was synthesized by a one-pot reaction using cysteamine as a capping agent and reducing agent (Cys-CuNCs). The synthesized CuNCs exhibited a spherical shape and a monodisperse and strong fluorescent emission characteristic peak at 430nm when exciting at 330nm. The Cys-CuNCs were demonstrated as a fluorescent chemodosimeter for the selective detection of Al