An efficient fluorescence energy transfer (FET) system between CePO(4):Tb(3+) nanocrystals as donor and 6-mercapto-5-triazole[4,3-b]-S-tetrazine as acceptor was built. CePO(4):Tb(3+) nanocrystals were synthesized in aqueous solutions, and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction pattern spectroscopy and spectrofluorometry. Under alkaline conditions, 6-mercapto-5-triazole[4,3-b]-S-tetrazine was generated by redox reaction of formaldehyde (HCHO) with 4-amino-3-hydrazino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole (AHMT) at room temperature. The degree of the overlap was effective for FET between the emission spectrum of CePO(4):Tb(3+) and the absorption spectrum of 6-mercapto-5-triazole[4,3-b]-S-tetrazine. Based on this system, a simple and sensitive fluorescence method for the selective determination of formaldehyde in aqueous solutions was developed. Under optimal conditions, the quenched fluorescence intensity increased linearly with the concentration of HCHO ranging from 1.03 x 10(-9) to 1.03 x 10(-5) mg mL(-1) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9976. The limit of detection was 1.65 x 10(-10) mg mL(-1). Compared with several methods, the proposed method had a wider linear range, higher selectivity and sensitivity. Moreover, analytical application of the method was demonstrated by water samples.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.