Fast synthesis of fluorescent SiO₂@CdTe nanoparticles with reusability in detection of H₂O₂

In this study, highly fluorescent core/shell SiO₂@CdTe nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized conveniently and efficiently via a hydrothermal method. The as-prepared SiO₂@CdTe NPs were uniform with good fluorescence preservation. The SiO₂@CdTe NPs could be used for the rapid detection of H₂O₂ with good sensitivity within several minutes. Excellent linear relationships existed between the quenching degrees of the SiO₂@CdTe NPs and the concentration of H₂O₂ in the range of 0.005 mM to 0.1 mM. The limit of detection (LOD) for H₂O₂ was 10 nM. Furthermore, it was proved that SiO₂@CdTe NPs could be used repeatedly for H₂O₂ detection due to their easy separation, which is an important feature. The excellent performance of SiO₂@CdTe NPs should facilitate their applications in chemistry or biology for detection of H₂O₂.