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Long-wavelength emission carbon dots as self-ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe for sensitive determination of Zn2+

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Abstract

A novel ratiometric fluorescence nanoprobe based on long-wavelength emission carbon dots (CDs) was designed for high sensitive and selective detection of Zn2+. The CDs were conveniently prepared by a one-step solvothermal treatment of formamide and glutathione (GSH). Under single excitation wavelength (420 nm), the obtained CDs exhibit three emission peaks at 470, 650, and 685 nm, respectively. For the long-wavelength emission region of the CDs, the fluorescence at 685 nm can be quenched with different levels upon the addition of most metal ions. However, the presence of Zn2+ not only results in the fluorescence quenching at 685 nm effectively but also enhances at 650 nm remarkably, which may be due to the formation of CD-Zn2+ chelate complex inducing the dispersion of CDs aggregates and changes in the group distribution on the surface of CDs. Taking the advantage of the unique fluorescence response induced by Zn2+, the prepared CDs were successfully employed as nanoprobe for self-ratiometric fluorescence determination of Zn2+ with F650/F685 as signal output. A good linear relationship in the concentration range 0.01 to 2 μM, and a detection limit as low as 5.1 nM has been obtained. The ratiometric nanoprobe was successfully applied to  Zn2+ determination  in human serum samples.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2020KB020), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22074080), the Open Project of Chemistry Department of Qingdao University of Science and Technology (QUSTHX201926), and the Graduate Education Innovation Program of Qufu Normal University (CXJ1903).

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  1. Yanling Lv and Peihua Li contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, 273165, People’s Republic of China

    Yanling Lv, Peihua Li, Chao Liu, Lian Xia, Fengli Qu & Rong-Mei Kong

  2. Key Laboratory of Optic-Electric Sensing and Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, MOE, Shandong Key Laboratory of Biochemical Analysis, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao , Shandong, 266042, People’s Republic of China

    Zhi-Ling Song

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  1. Yanling Lv
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  2. Peihua Li
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  4. Lian Xia
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Correspondence to Rong-Mei Kong or Zhi-Ling Song.

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Lv, Y., Li, P., Liu, C. et al. Long-wavelength emission carbon dots as self-ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe for sensitive determination of Zn2+. Microchim Acta 189, 55 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-021-05144-x

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