Chemiluminescence from the decomposition of peroxymonocarbonate catalyzed by gold nanoparticles.

In this work, an online preparation of peroxymonocarbonate was formed innovatively, which offered the reliable intermediate for further investigation. Gold colloids with nanoparticles of different sizes were found to enhance the chemiluminescence (CL) of the peroxymonocarbonate-eosin Y system, and the most intensive CL signals were obtained with 50 +/- 1 nm diameter gold nanoparticles. UV-visible adsorption spectra, fluorescence spectra, transmission electron microscopy images, electron paramagnetic resonance spin-trapping spectra, and mass spectra were obtained in order to study the CL enhancement mechanism. Peroxymonocarbonate, a reactive oxygen species, can be decomposed to singlet oxygen which transfers its energy to eosin Y. The CL can be induced by excited eosin Y. Gold nanoparticles facilitated the radical generation and singlet oxygen molecular formation on the surface of the gold nanoparticles. Thus, the CL emission enhanced greatly by adding gold nanoparticles into the system.