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Cd1-xMgxTe semiconductor nanocrystal alloys: Synthesis, preparation of nanocomposites with graphene-based materials, and electrochemical detection of lidocaine and epinephrine

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Abstract

This work describes the synthesis of a glutathione-capped Cd1-xMgxTe semiconductor nanocrystal alloy in aqueous solution. The effects of reaction time and Cd:Mg molar proportion on the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties were optimized. The Cd1-xMgxTe material was found to emit in the visible range (blueish-green to dark pink), with the band gap energy depending both on the Mg:Cd ratio and of the nanocrystal size. The in-situ growth of the nanocrystal alloy on both graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide leads to partial quenching of the photoluminescence of Cd1-xMgxTe but improves the electrochemical response of the nanocrystals. Carbon paste electrodes (CPE) were modified with the graphene-based materials containing semiconductor nanocrystals, and it is shown that such a modified CPE can be applied to the determination of the local anesthetic lidocaine and the anaphylactic drug epinephrine via differential pulse voltammetry. Each analyte can be determined both individually and in the presence of constant concentrations of the other, best at typical oxidation potentials of 0.25 V and 1.0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), respectively. In the best cases, the detection limits are 92 nM for lidocaine and 0.95 μM for epinephrine.

Preparation of glutathione-capped Cd1-xMgxTe nanocrystals was studied in water, followed by growth of the nanocrystal alloy onto graphene. Carbon paste electrodes modified with materials studied were applied to the determination of the local anesthetic lidocaine and epinephrine.

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Acknowledgements

Authors are grateful to Brazilian Brazilian funding agencies CNPq, Capes, and Fapitec for financial support, to CMNano-UFS (Proposal #64) for TEM measurements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Postgraduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil

    Charlene R. S. Matos & Iara F. Gimenez

  2. Postgraduate Program in Chemistry, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil

    Helio O. Souza Jr, Eliana M. Sussuchi & Iara F. Gimenez

  3. Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil

    Tiago B. S. Santana, Luan P. M. Candido, Eliana M. Sussuchi & Iara F. Gimenez

  4. Department of Physics, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil

    Frederico G. C. Cunha

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  1. Charlene R. S. Matos
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  2. Helio O. Souza Jr
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Correspondence to Iara F. Gimenez.

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Matos, C.R.S., Souza, H.O., Santana, T.B.S. et al. Cd1-xMgxTe semiconductor nanocrystal alloys: Synthesis, preparation of nanocomposites with graphene-based materials, and electrochemical detection of lidocaine and epinephrine. Microchim Acta 184, 1755–1764 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-017-2165-8

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