Arsenic contamination in groundwater is a supreme environmental problem, and levels of this toxic metalloid must be strictly monitored by a portable, sensitive and selective analytical device. Herein, a new system of smartphone-integrated paper sensors with Cu nanoclusters was established for the effective detection of As(III) in groundwater. For the integration system, the fluorescence emissive peak of Cu nanoclusters at 600 nm decreased gradually with increasing As(III) addition. Meanwhile, the fluorescence colour also changed from orange to colourless, and the detection limit was determined as 2.93 nM (0.22 ppb) in a wide detection range. The interfering ions also cannot influence the detection selectivity of As(III). Furthermore, the portable paper sensors based on Cu nanoclusters were fabricated for visual detection of As(III) in groundwater. The quantitative determination of As(III) in natural groundwater has also been accomplished with the aid of a common smartphone. Our work has provided a portable and on-site detection technique toward As(III) in groundwater with high sensitivity and selectivity.

地下水中的砷污染是一个严重的环境问题，必须通过便携式、灵敏和选择性分析设备严格监测这种有毒准金属的含量。在此，建立了一种带有铜纳米团簇的智能手机集成纸传感器的新系统，用于有效检测地下水中的 As(III)。对于积分系统，随着As(III)添加量的增加，Cu纳米团簇在600 nm处的荧光发射峰逐渐降低。同时，荧光颜色也从橙色变为无色，在较宽的检测范围内检测限为2.93 nM (0.22 ppb)。干扰离子也不会影响As(III)的检测选择性。此外，还制造了基于铜纳米团簇的便携式纸传感器，用于地下水中砷（III）的视觉检测。天然地下水中As(III)的定量测定也可以借助普通智能手机完成。我们的工作为地下水中的 As(III) 提供了一种高灵敏度和选择性的便携式现场检测技术。