Stable Cu nanoclusters: from an aggregation-induced emission mechanism to biosensing and catalytic applications

Abstract

Highly luminescent and stable Cu nanoclusters (NCs) have been prepared, displaying an intriguing aggregation-induced emission (AIE) feature. The attractive AIE feature allowed the CuNCs to serve as pH stimuli-responsive functional materials. Additionally, we explored the utility of CuNCs for biosensing and catalysis applications.