Fluorescent Metal Nanoclusters for the Detection of Metal Ions and Other Anions

The main objective of this chapter is not to provide an exhaustive review of all possible applications of luminescent metal nanoclusters (LMNCs) in the detection of various ionic species (because many reviews have been published already), but rather to highlight and provide an overview of the possibilities and limitations of LMNCs in terms of selectivity and sensitivity in the detection of metal ions and other anions. Their selectivity and sensitivity in such detection is primarily due to their unique optical properties (luminescence), but, at the same time, also very closely connected with the properties of the protecting layer (template/matrix/shell) surrounding individual LMNCs and separating them from the environment. In this chapter we will discuss different possible mechanisms of metal cation and other anion detection using LMNCs.