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Nitrogen-Doped and Surface Functionalized CDs: Fluorescent Probe for Cellular Imaging and Environmental Sensing of ClO–

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Abstract

A novel nitrogen doped and surface functionalized fluorescent CDs (T1) was synthesized by one-step and green hydrothermal method, which exhibits a satisfactory fluorescence quantum yield and a series of admirable features such as good aqueous solubility, narrow particle size distribution, resistance to photobleaching as well as excitation-dependent behavior. Benefitting from above merits, T1 can be employed to serve as an outstanding sensing platform for sensitive and accurate detection of ClO– by remarkable fluorescence “on–off” process with rapid and anti-interference. More notably, the good biocompatibility and photostability can ensure enormous bioimaging potential and successful application of T1 in monitoring of exogenous ClO– in MG-63 cells. Meanwhile, T1 can also be regarded as a filter paper sensor providing a convenient and efficient analyzing technology for monitoring of free residual chlorine in practical environmental samples. All these results demonstrate that there exists promising possibility for practical applications of T1 in bioimaging systems and environmental monitoring.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information file.

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Funding

This work was supported by [National Natural Science Foundation of China] (Grant numbers [22179107], [22077099], [21807087], [21701131] and [U1903133]); [Key Research and Development Plan in Shaanxi Province of China] (Grant number [2019KWZ–07]); [Technology Innovation Leading Program of Shaanxi] (Grant number [2020TG–031]); [Shaanxi Provincial Natural Science Fund Project] (Grant number [2018JQ2061]); [Xi’an City Science and Technology Project] (Grant number [2020KJRC0115]); [Outstanding Youth Science Fund of Xi’an University of Science and Technology] (Grant number [2018YQ3–14]).

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  1. Tiantian Xu and Hui Li contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, 710054, People’s Republic of China

    Tiantian Xu, Hui Li, Haonan Yang, Zheng Yang, Xiaodan Jia, Shunsheng Zhao, Zaiwen Yang & Xiangrong Liu

  2. Key Laboratory of Coal Resources Exploration and Comprehensive Utilization, Ministry of Land and Resources, Xi’an, 710012, People’s Republic of China

    Zheng Yang, Xiaodan Jia, Shunsheng Zhao, Zaiwen Yang & Xiangrong Liu

  3. Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Material Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710127, People’s Republic of China

    Hui Li & Zheng Yang

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  1. Tiantian Xu
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  2. Hui Li
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Contributions

Conceptualization: [Tiantian Xu], [Hui Li]; Data curation: [Tiantian Xu]; Writing-review and editing: [Tiantian Xu]; Software: [Hui Li]; Writing-original draft: [Hui Li]; Validation: [Haonan Yang]; Investigation: [Haonan Yang]; Supervision: [Zheng Yang]; Methodology: [Zheng Yang]; Funding acquisition: [Zheng Yang], [Xiaodan Jia] and [Xiangrong Liu]; Visualization: [Xiaodan Jia], [Shunsheng Zhao]; Formal analysis: [Shunsheng Zhao], [Zaiwen Yang]; Resources: [Zaiwen Yang]; Project management: [Xiangrong Liu].

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Correspondence to Zheng Yang.

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Xu, T., Li, H., Yang, H. et al. Nitrogen-Doped and Surface Functionalized CDs: Fluorescent Probe for Cellular Imaging and Environmental Sensing of ClO–. J Fluoresc 32, 1591–1600 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10895-022-02952-z

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