Aggregation-Induced Accelerating Peroxidase-Like Activity Of Gold Nanoclusters And Their Applications For Colorimetric Pb2+ Detection

In this study, we found that Pb2+-induced aggregation can greatly accelerate the peroxidase-like activity of Au nanoclusters (Au-NCs). The catalytic activities of Au-NCs toward peroxidase substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) oxidation in the presence of H2O2 are nearly 10-fold increased after the Pb2+-induced aggregation. Based on this finding, a simple and reliable colorimetric method for Pb2+ detection was developed.