Luminol chemiluminescence catalysed by colloidal platinum nanoparticles

Platinum colloids prepared by the reduction of hexachloroplatinic acid with citrate in the presence of different stabilizers were found to enhance the chemiluminescence (CL) of the luminol–H₂O₂ system, and the most intensive CL signals were obtained with citrate‐protected Pt colloids synthesized with citrate as both a reductant and a stabilizer. Light emission was intense and reproducible. Transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies were conducted before and after the CL reaction to investigate the possible CL enhancement mechanism. It is suggested that this CL enhancement is attributed to the catalysis of platinum nanoparticles, which could accelerate the electron‐transfer process and facilitate the CL radical generation in aqueous solution. The effects of Pt colloids prepared by the hydroborate reduction were also investigated. The application of the luminol–H₂O₂–Pt colloids system was exploited for the determination of compounds such as uric acid, ascorbic acid, phenols and amino acids. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.