Molecularly engineered quantum dots for visualization of hydrogen sulfide

Among various fluorescence nanomaterials, the II-VI semiconductor nanocrystals (usually called quantum dots, QDs) should be very promising in sensing application because of their high quantum yields, capability for surface property manipulation, and unlimited possible chemical reactions. Herein, we present a fluorescence probe for hydrogen sulfide, which was prepared by first encapsulating inorganic cadmium telluride (CdTe) QDs in silica nanospheres, and subsequently engineering the silica surface with functional molecules azidocoumarin-4-acetic acid reactive to hydrogen sulfide. The nanohybrid probe exhibited two fluorescence bands centered at 452 and 657 nm, respectively. The red fluorescence at 657 nm of the nanohybrid probe is stable against H2S, while the blue fluorescence is specifically sensitive to H2S. The probe showed a distinct fluorescence color evolution from light magenta to blue upon exposure to different amounts of H2S, and a detection limit of 7.0 nM was estimated in aqueous solution. We further applied the nanohybrid probe for visual detection of gaseous H2S with a low concentration of 0.5 ppm using glass indicating spots sensors, suggesting its potential application for gaseous H2S sensing. Such an efficient on-site visual determination of gaseous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is highly demanded in on-site environmental monitoring and protection.