One-pot synthesis of fluorescent aminoclay and the ratiometric fluorescence detection of sunset yellow

Abstract

Herein, a facile one-pot solvothermal strategy was utilized for fabrication of fluorescent aminoclay (F-AC) using MgCl2, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane and m-phenylenediamine as precursors. This approach provides a simple approach for scale-up synthesis of F-AC. The as-prepared F-AC exhibited blue-green fluorescence and good photostability. And pH significantly affects the fluorescence emission behavior of F-AC, and F-AC showed the strongest fluorescence at pH = 4.0. The fabricated F-AC was utilized for ratiometric fluorescence determination of sunset yellow with good sensitivity by virtue of the ratiometric fluorescence varies at 535 nm and 490 nm, and a linear relationship in the range of 0–30 μM was obtained with a LOD of 0.195 μM. Furthermore, the F-AC was utilized for anti-counterfeiting and fabricated as fluorescent gel and membrane, revealing the promising optical applications of F-AC.