Recyclable fluorescence sensing based on copper clusters for simultaneous determination of copper ions and ammonia

A one-step strategy for synthesizing fluorescent copper clusters stabilized by L-cysteine has been successfully established in aqueous solutions. The direct determination of copper ions was realized by the fluorescence enhancement phenomenon caused by the preparation and aggregation process. At the same time, ammonia treatment can lead to rapid fluorescence quenching, resulting from the influence on the aggregation behavior of Cu clusters, while the fluorescence can be recovered by the continuous addition of copper ions. Therefore, a recyclable fluorescence sensing system is constructed for the simultaneous determination of copper ions and ammonia. This method is simple, anti-interference and has been successfully applied to the determination of environmental samples.