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Carbon quantum dots derived from pomegranate peel: highly effective Fe(III) sensor

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Abstract

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs), which have excellent photoluminescence properties, have been synthesized from pomegranate peel and sucrose as carbon sources by a hydrothermal method in this study. The reaction temperature and the synthesis time were optimized for obtaining CQDs with unique physical and chemical properties that can easily be soluble in water and show luminescence properties. The obtained CQDs were characterized by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV–Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffractometry. The quantum yield (QY) of the synthesized CQDs was calculated as 7.02%. The obtained CQDs exhibited highly selective sensor properties and detected Fe3+ ions in Co2+, Al3+, Hg2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Ni2+, Ba2+, Mn2+, Li+, K+, and Fe2+ cations at the same concentration. Fe(III) ions can be detected at 7.488 μM concentration with R2 = 0.952 value. The sensitivity performance of the obtained CQDs was also evaluated in different types of real water samples. It was also determined the synthesized carbon quantum dots were very sensitive to Fe3+ in well water (CQDs-W), seawater (CQDs-Sea), dam water (CQDs-D), tap water (CQDs-T), snow water (CQDs-Snow), and ultrapure water (CQDs-U) as nearly the same in the pure water samples under ideal environments that quenched the fluorescence intensity of CQDs.

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Funding

This study was supported by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University. Project number 2021/1–7 YLS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Opticianry, Vocational School of Health Services, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey

    Hasan Eskalen

  2. Department of Material Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey

    Hasan Eskalen, Mustafa Kavgacı & Hacı Veli Kalmış

  3. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Letters, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey

    Serhan Uruş & Beyhan Tahta

  4. Department of Opticianry, Elbistan Vocational School of Health Services, Kahramanmaraş Istiklal University, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey

    Mustafa Kavgacı

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  1. Hasan Eskalen
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H.K., M.K., and B.T. performed experiments. S.U. and H.E. conceived research, analyzed data, and wrote the manuscript with the help from all the others.

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Eskalen, H., Uruş, S., Kavgacı, M. et al. Carbon quantum dots derived from pomegranate peel: highly effective Fe(III) sensor. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 14, 1201–1214 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-023-04048-5

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