Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A simple method for determination of mercury (II) ions by PNBS-doped carbon dots as a fluorescent probe

  • Review
  • Published:
Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A simple and efficient fluorometric method is described for detecting mercury (II) ions. Carbon quantum dots doped with nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and boron were prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method for first time that involves heating of a solution of glucose, thiourea, boric acid, and phosphoric acid in an autoclave simultaneously for 5 h at 200° C. The carbon quantum dots with phosphorus, sulfur, boron, and nitrogen atom (PNBS-CQDs) are a viable probe for fluorometric detection of Hg2+. Unlike CQD-based probes reported so far, the addition of Hg2+ causes a decrease in fluorescence signal (with excitation/emission maxima at 450/530 nm). The probe has a linear response in the 25.0 μM to 1500.0 mM of Hg2+ concentration range with 5.0 µM (S/N = 3) and 16.5 µM for LOD and LOQ, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied for determining the mercury (II) ions in real samples.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Scheme 1
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. M.N. Khan, M.F. Wahab, Characterization of chemically modified corncobs and its application in the removal of metal ions from aqueous solution. J. Hazard. Mater. 141(1), 237–244 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  2. A. Renzoni, F. Zino, E. Franchi, Mercury levels along the food chain and risk for exposed populations. Environ. Res. 77(2), 68–72 (1998)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. E.M. Nolan, S.J. Lippard, Tools and tactics for the optical detection of mercuric ion. Chem. Rev. 108(9), 3443–3480 (2008)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. J. Gutknecht, Inorganic mercury (Hg2+) transport through lipid bilayer membranes. J. Membr. Biol. 61(1), 61–66 (1981)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. P.B. Tchounwou, W.K. Ayensu, N. Ninashvili, D. Sutton, Environmental exposure to mercury and its toxicopathologic implications for public health. Environ. Toxicol. 18(3), 149–175 (2003)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. S. Zinatloo-Ajabshir, N. Ghasemian, M. Salavati-Niasari, Green synthesis of Ln2Zr2O7 (Ln= Nd, Pr) ceramic nanostructures using extract of green tea via a facile route and their efficient application on propane-selective catalytic reduction of NOx process. Ceram. Int. 46(1), 66–73 (2020)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. S. Zinatloo-Ajabshir, Z. Salehi, O. Amiri, M. Salavati-Niasari, Simple fabrication of Pr2Ce2O7 nanostructures via a new and eco-friendly route; a potential electrochemical hydrogen storage material. J. Alloys Compd. 791, 792–799 (2019)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. S. Zinatloo-Ajabshir, M. Salavati-Niasari, Preparation of magnetically retrievable CoFe2O4@ SiO2@ Dy2Ce2O7 nanocomposites as novel photocatalyst for highly efficient degradation of organic contaminants. Compos. B 174, 106930 (2019)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. S. Zinatloo-Ajabshir, M.S. Morassaei, M. Salavati-Niasari, Facile synthesis of Nd2Sn2O7-SnO2 nanostructures by novel and environment-friendly approach for the photodegradation and removal of organic pollutants in water. J. Environ. Manage. 233, 107–119 (2019)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. S. Zinatloo-Ajabshir, M.S. Morassaei, M. Salavati-Niasari, Eco-friendly synthesis of Nd2Sn2O7–based nanostructure materials using grape juice as green fuel as photocatalyst for the degradation of erythrosine. Compos. B 167, 643–653 (2019)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. S. Zinatloo-Ajabshir, M. Salavati-Niasari, A. Sobhani, Z. Zinatloo-Ajabshir, Rare earth zirconate nanostructures: recent development on preparation and photocatalytic applications. J. Alloys Compd. 767, 1164–1185 (2018)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. F. Razi, S. Zinatloo-Ajabshir, M. Salavati-Niasari, Preparation, characterization and photocatalytic properties of Ag2ZnI4/AgI nanocomposites via a new simple hydrothermal approach. J. Mol. Liq. 225, 645–651 (2017)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. G. Tz, J. Baasner, M. Gradl, A. Kistner, Determination of mercury in saliva with a flow-injection system. Anal. Chim. Acta 320(2–3), 171–176 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  14. H.-T. Wang, B. Kang, T. Chancellor Jr., T. Lele, Y. Tseng, F. Ren, S. Pearton, W. Johnson, P. Rajagopal, J. Roberts, Fast electrical detection of Hg (II) ions with Al Ga N∕ Ga N high electron mobility transistors. Appl. Phys. Lett. 91(4), 042114 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  15. H. Li, J. Zhai, J. Tian, Y. Luo, X. Sun, Carbon nanoparticle for highly sensitive and selective fluorescent detection of mercury (II) ion in aqueous solution. Biosens. Bioelectron. 26(12), 4656–4660 (2011)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. S. Choi, R.M. Dickson, J. Yu, Developing luminescent silver nanodots for biological applications. Chem. Soc. Rev. 41(5), 1867–1891 (2012)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. X. Michalet, F. Pinaud, L. Bentolila, J. Tsay, S. Doose, J. Li, G. Sundaresan, A. Wu, S. Gambhir, S. Weiss, Quantum dots for live cells, in vivo imaging, and diagnostics. Science 307(5709), 538–544 (2005)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. L. Shang, S. Dong, G.U. Nienhaus, Ultra-small fluorescent metal nanoclusters: synthesis and biological applications. Nano Today 6(4), 401–418 (2011)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. R. Hardman, A toxicologic review of quantum dots: toxicity depends on physicochemical and environmental factors. Environ. Health Perspect. 114(2), 165–172 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  20. A.M. Derfus, W.C. Chan, S.N. Bhatia, Probing the cytotoxicity of semiconductor quantum dots. Nano Lett. 4(1), 11–18 (2004)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. S. Tedesco, H. Doyle, J. Blasco, G. Redmond, D. Sheehan, Oxidative stress and toxicity of gold nanoparticles in Mytilus edulis. Aquat. Toxicol. 100(2), 178–186 (2010)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. P. Jing, D. Han, D. Li, D. Zhou, D. Shen, G. Xiao, B. Zou, S. Qu, Surface related intrinsic luminescence from carbon nanodots: solvent dependent piezochromism. Nanoscale Horizons 4(1), 175–181 (2019)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. A. Barati, M. Shamsipur, H. Abdollahi, Hemoglobin detection using carbon dots as a fluorescence probe. Biosens. Bioelectron. 71, 470–475 (2015)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. T.T. Bui, S.-Y. Park, A carbon dot–hemoglobin complex-based biosensor for cholesterol detection. Green Chem. 18(15), 4245–4253 (2016)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. S. Dolai, S.K. Bhunia, R. Jelinek, Carbon-dot-aerogel sensor for aromatic volatile organic compounds. Sens. Actuators B 241, 607–613 (2017)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. C. Ding, A. Zhu, Y. Tian, Functional surface engineering of C-dots for fluorescent biosensing and in vivo bioimaging. Acc. Chem. Res. 47(1), 20–30 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  27. S.K. Bhunia, S. Dolai, H. Sun, R. Jelinek, “On/off/on” hydrogen-peroxide sensor with hemoglobin-functionalized carbon dots. Sens. Actuators B 270, 223–230 (2018)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. L.S. Walekar, P. Hu, F. Liao, X. Guo, M. Long, Turn-on fluorometric and colorimetric probe for hydrogen peroxide based on the in-situ formation of silver ions from a composite made from N-doped carbon quantum dots and silver nanoparticles. Microchim. Acta 185(1), 31 (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  29. W. Lu, X. Qin, S. Liu, G. Chang, Y. Zhang, Y. Luo, A.M. Asiri, A.O. Al-Youbi, X. Sun, Economical, green synthesis of fluorescent carbon nanoparticles and their use as probes for sensitive and selective detection of mercury (II) ions. Anal. Chem. 84(12), 5351–5357 (2012)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Y. Tang, L. Rao, Z. Li, H. Lu, C. Yan, S. Yu, X. Ding, B. Yu, Rapid synthesis of highly photoluminescent nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots via a microreactor with foamy copper for the detection of Hg 2+ ions. Sens. Actuators B 258, 637–647 (2018)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. D. Sun, R. Ban, P.-H. Zhang, G.-H. Wu, J.-R. Zhang, J.-J. Zhu, Hair fiber as a precursor for synthesizing of sulfur-and nitrogen-co-doped carbon dots with tunable luminescence properties. Carbon 64, 424–434 (2013)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. C. Zhao, Y. Jiao, L. Zhang, Y. Yang, One-step synthesis of S, B co-doped carbon dots and their application for selective and sensitive fluorescence detection of diethylstilbestrol. New J. Chem. 42(4), 2857–2864 (2018)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. X. Gong, Q. Zhang, Y. Gao, S. Shuang, M.M. Choi, C. Dong, Phosphorus and nitrogen dual-doped hollow carbon dot as a nanocarrier for doxorubicin delivery and biological imaging. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 8(18), 11288–11297 (2016)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. X. Gong, Q. Hu, M.C. Paau, Y. Zhang, S. Shuang, C. Dong, M.M. Choi, Red-green-blue fluorescent hollow carbon nanoparticles isolated from chromatographic fractions for cellular imaging. Nanoscale 6(14), 8162–8170 (2014)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. X. Jin, X. Sun, G. Chen, L. Ding, Y. Li, Z. Liu, Z. Wang, W. Pan, C. Hu, J. Wang, pH-sensitive carbon dots for the visualization of regulation of intracellular pH inside living pathogenic fungal cells. Carbon 81, 388–395 (2015)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. R. Qian, L. Ding, L. Bao, S. He, H. Ju, In situ electrochemical assay of cell surface sialic acids featuring highly efficient chemoselective recognition and a dual-functionalized nanohorn probe. Chem. Commun. 48(32), 3848–3850 (2012)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. X. Gong, Y. Liu, Z. Yang, S. Shuang, Z. Zhang, C. Dong, An “on-off-on” fluorescent nanoprobe for recognition of chromium (VI) and ascorbic acid based on phosphorus/nitrogen dual-doped carbon quantum dot. Anal. Chim. Acta 968, 85–96 (2017)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. X. Gong, W. Lu, M.C. Paau, Q. Hu, X. Wu, S. Shuang, C. Dong, M.M. Choi, Facile synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon dots for Fe3+ sensing and cellular imaging. Anal. Chim. Acta 861, 74–84 (2015)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. L. Ji, L. Chen, P. Wu, D.F. Gervasio, C. Cai, Highly selective fluorescence determination of the hematin level in human erythrocytes with no need for separation from bulk hemoglobin. Anal. Chem. 88(7), 3935–3944 (2016)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. V.K. Singh, P.K. Yadav, S. Chandra, D. Bano, M. Talat, S.H. Hasan, Peroxidase mimetic activity of fluorescent NS-carbon quantum dots and their application in colorimetric detection of H 2 O 2 and glutathione in human blood serum. Journal of Materials Chemistry B 6(32), 5256–5268 (2018)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. A. Barati, M. Shamsipur, H. Abdollahi, Carbon dots with strong excitation-dependent fluorescence changes towards pH. Application as nanosensors for a broad range of pH. Anal. Chim. Acta 931, 25–33 (2016)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. R.R. Raposo, E. Meléndez-Hevia, M. Spiro, Autocatalytic formation of colloidal mercury in the redox reaction between Hg2+ and Fe2+ and between Hg22+ and Fe2+. J. Mol. Catal. A 164(1–2), 49–59 (2000)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Y. Guo, Z. Wang, H. Shao, X. Jiang, Hydrothermal synthesis of highly fluorescent carbon nanoparticles from sodium citrate and their use for the detection of mercury ions. Carbon 52, 583–589 (2013)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. C. Wang, D. Sun, K. Zhuo, H. Zhang, J. Wang, Simple and green synthesis of nitrogen-, sulfur-, and phosphorus-co-doped carbon dots with tunable luminescence properties and sensing application. RSC Adv. 4(96), 54060–54065 (2014)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. S. He, D. Li, C. Zhu, S. Song, L. Wang, Y. Long, C. Fan, Design of a gold nanoprobe for rapid and portable mercury detection with the naked eye. Chem. Commun. 40, 4885–4887 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  46. F. Coppin, J. Michon, C. Garnier, S. Frelon, Fluorescence quenching determination of uranium (VI) binding properties by two functional proteins: Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and vitellogenin (Vtg). J. Fluorescence 25(3), 569–576 (2015)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Y. Liu, H. Xue, J. Liu, Q. Wang, L. Wang, Carbon quantum dot-based fluorometric nitrite assay by exploiting the oxidation of iron (II) to iron (III). Microchim. Acta 185(2), 129 (2018)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Research Council of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (Grant Number: 980547) for financial support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran

    Changiz Karami & Mohsen Shahlaei

  2. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

    Mohammad Ali Taher

Authors
  1. Changiz Karami
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mohammad Ali Taher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mohsen Shahlaei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Changiz Karami or Mohsen Shahlaei.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Karami, C., Taher, M.A. & Shahlaei, M. A simple method for determination of mercury (II) ions by PNBS-doped carbon dots as a fluorescent probe. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 31, 5975–5983 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-03157-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-03157-5

Search

Navigation