Luminescent, stabilized and environmentally friendly [EuW10O36]9−-Chitosan films for sensitive detection of hydrogen peroxide

Fabrications and applications of luminescent films have been an interesting and important challenge within the realm of academia and industry. Herein, a novel fluorescence-based strategy for the H2O2 detection has been developed by fabrication of stabilized, thin, transparent, and luminescent films composed of europium-containing polyoxometalates (Eu-POM) and environmentally friendly chitosan (CS) via a facile solution casting approach. In comparison with pure Eu-POM, enhanced fluorescent properties are obtained from the as-prepared Eu-POM/CS films in terms of prolonged fluorescence lifetime and a remarkable fluorescent quenching effect in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The fluorescence intensity of Eu-POM/CS films exhibits a linear correlation in response to the H2O2 concentration over a wide range of 1.1-66 μM, with a detection limit of 0.11 μM. Furthermore, the fluorescent films display a high detection selectivity which are capable of differentiating hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from the interfering species, such as sugars, l-amino acids, and other metabolites. All these advances towards the development of Eu-POM/CS films open up new applications for luminescent films, but most importantly, they can help in the far-reaching technological implementations of a simple, cost-effective method for the detection of H2O2 in many fields.