Sensitive and selective electrochemiluminescent detection of nitrite using dual-stabilizer-capped CdTe quantum dots

Dual-stabilizer-capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were prepared by a one-pot strategy with glutathione (GSH) and thioglycolic acid (TGA) as stabilizers (denoted as GSH-TGA-CdTe). Due to the presence of dual stabilizer, the as-prepared CdTe QDs not only displayed strong anodic electrochemiluminescence (ECL), but also showed sensitive and selective ECL response to nitrite. A linear range from 4.2 to 207 nM and a detection limit of 1.4 nM (S/N = 3) were obtained for the detection of nitrite.