Nucleoside-regulated catalytic activity of copper nanoclusters and their application for mercury ion detection

Nanomaterial-based enzyme mimics (nanozymes) have become a hot spot in the field of scientific research because of their high stability and low cost. However, the catalytic activity of most nanozymes is still low compared to natural enzymes. Herein, we developed a novel method for the synthesis of copper nanoclusters using small-molecule nucleosides as templates and hydroxylamine hydrochloride as the reductant. Various nucleosides can regulate the catalytic activity of copper nanoclusters. After the catalytic properties of the copper nanoclusters were optimized, thymidine-templated copper nanoclusters (T-CuNCs) were identified with the highest catalytic activity. Based on the interaction between mercury ions and thymine, T-CuNCs were used as a nanoprobe for mercury ion detection. The T-CuNCs provided excellent selectivity for mercury ions both in buffer and actual water samples. These results indicated that nucleosides or DNA provide more possibilities for regulating the enzyme-like activity and catalytic category of metal nanoparticles.