Facile Detection of Cucurbit[7]uril by Rhodamine B-decorated Nanoparticles

A new fluorescence detection method has been developed for cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) that was facilitated by water soluble rhodamine B decorated copper nanoparticles (NPCuRhB). The NPCuRhB “turn on” the fluorescence upon mixing with CB[7], to offer a new quantification method for CB[7]. Interestingly, NPCuRhB responded differently for β-cyclodextrin in comparison to CB[7], despite of having similarities in their host-guest chemistry. Furthermore, these nanoparticles also promoted the visualization of CB[7] by naked eye detection under the hand held UV light (365 nm).