Double protected lanthanide fluorescence core@shell colloidal hybrid for the selective and sensitive detection of ClO

Eu(NTA)3 was double protected by silica and cross-linked organosilica though a biphasic water-born method, incorporation of a so called Pickering emulsion process. The obtained core@shell colloidal hybrid nanoparticles (HPs) with strong red fluorescence has specific ClO− detection with high selectivity and sensitivity in contrast with other ions including Cu2+, Fe3+ and other strong acids. [Display omitted] •Biphasic Pickering emulsion method for the preparation of lanthanide fluorescence probe with core@shell structure.•Specific ClO− detection with high selectivity and sensitivity.•Strong red emission in water. Without any surfactant or organic solvent, a water-borne method incorporated a biphasic sol-gel process and a Pickering emulsion process was firstly applied to encapsulate lanthanide complexes. Compared with the free one, the achieved double protected lanthanide fluorescence colloidal hybrid particles with core@shells structure has a specific ClO− detection with high selectivity and sensitivity in contrast with other inorganic ions including Cu2+, Fe3+ and other strong acids. With strong oxidation characteristics, ClO− can gradually penetrate through silica shell, and quench the red fluorescence of lanthanide ions in the organosilica core. This core@shell colloidal nanoprobe exhibits an excellent sensing capacity for hypochlorite in real sample. This green environment friendly method could be easily extended to form functional hybrid particles with other types of reactive oils and nanoparticles for devising other specified fluorescent sensors.