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Preparation of protonated, two-dimensional graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets by exfoliation, and their application as a fluorescent probe for trace analysis of copper(II)

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Abstract

Bulk graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was obtained by pyrolysis of urea at 600 °C. The material was then subjected to protonation and exfoliation to obtain strongly fluorescent g-C3N4 nanosheets. These nanosheets are representing a two-dimensional layered material that emits strong blue fluorescence peaking at 434 nm, and their quantum yield of up to 10.3 % is much higher than that of bulk g-C3N4 (6.0 %). It was found that Cu(II) ions quench the fluorescence of the nanosheets due to photo-induced electron transfer (PET), probably the result of the stronger binding affinity between Cu(II) and the nitrogen and oxygen functional groups of the nanosheets. The probe responds to Cu(II) in the 0.01 to 0.4 nM concentration range, with a 8 pM detection limit. The method was applied to the determination of Cu(II) in spiked water samples.

Fluorescent g-C3N4 nano-sheets were obtained from bulk g-C3N4 treated by protonation and exfoliation methods. This material can sensitively detect trace amounts of copper ions via a photo-induced electron transfer process.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of this study by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC–21365014 and NSFC–21305061), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (20132BAB213011 and 20132BAB203011), the State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology of Nanchang University (SKLF–ZZA201302 and SKLF–ZZB201303), and the financial support by the Graduate Student Innovation Program (cx2015054).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330031, China

    Xinrong Guo, Yong Wang, Fangying Wu & Yongnian Ni

  2. School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, 4001, Australia

    Serge Kokot

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  1. Xinrong Guo
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  2. Yong Wang
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  3. Fangying Wu
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Correspondence to Yongnian Ni.

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Guo, X., Wang, Y., Wu, F. et al. Preparation of protonated, two-dimensional graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets by exfoliation, and their application as a fluorescent probe for trace analysis of copper(II). Microchim Acta 183, 773–780 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-015-1712-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-015-1712-4

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