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Glutathione Modified Fluorescent CdS QDs Synthesized Using Environmentally Benign Pathway for Detection of Mercury Ions in Aqueous Phase

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Abstract

An adept, rapid and novel water-soluble glutathione functionalized CdS quantum dots (GSH@CdS QDs) were fabricated using green pathway for sensing of heavy metal contamination prevalent in industrial wastewater. GSH@CdS QDs were facilely synthesized in an aqueous phase reaction and were effectively characterized using FT-IR, XRD, FESEM, HRTEM and EDX techniques. The distinct fluorescence characteristics of GSH@CdS QDs were explored and the QDs showed selective sensitivity towards mercury ions with a low limit of detection of 0.54 nM under optimal conditions. The detailed interaction between GSH@CdS QDs and Hg2+ and the probable fluorescence quenching mechanism were established in this study. In comparison to already reported fluorescent probes, GSH@CdS QDs showed high sensitivity, biocompatibility, long fluorescence stability and convenient removal of mercury ions.

Facile green route for the fabrication of glutathione capped CdS quantum dots for fluorescence-based detection of toxic Hg2+ ions.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are highly gratified towards Innovative in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) (DST/INSPIRE Fellowship/2017/IF170903) and Department of Science and Technology (DST) (Grant No. SEED/TIASN/008/2018/G and DST/TMD(EWO)/OWUIS-2018/RS-15(G)) and Technical Education Quality Improvement Program (TEQIP)-III, SSBUICET for providing necessary financial support; Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility (SAIF-CIL), Panjab University, Chandigarh for the sample characterization.

Funding

The authors are highly gratified towards Innovative in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (DST/INSPIRE Fellowship/2017/IF170903) and Department of Science and Technology (Grant No. SEED/TIASN/008/2018/G and DST/TMD(EWO)/OWUIS-2018/RS-15(G)) and Technical Education Quality Improvement Program (TEQIP)-III, SSBUICET for providing necessary financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Energy Research Centre, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India

    Jaspreet Kaur &  Renu

  2. Department of Chemistry & Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India

    Komal & Sonal Singhal

  3. HR-TEM Facility Lab, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), SAS Nagar-160062, Punjab, India

    Vinod Kumar & K. B. Tikoo

  4. Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, India

    Sandeep Bansal

  5. Dr. S. S. Bhatnagar University Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India

    Anupama Kaushik

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  1. Jaspreet Kaur
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Research Highlights

• Fabrication of eco-friendly and biocompatible fluorescent GSH@CdS QDs sensor

• Selective detection of Hg2+ even at a low concentration of 0.54 nM

• Two different quenching mechanism were explored for the fluorescence quenching of GSH@CdS QDs at low and high concentration of Hg2+ ions

• Selective sensing of Hg2+ ions in real water samples

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Kaur, J., Komal, Renu et al. Glutathione Modified Fluorescent CdS QDs Synthesized Using Environmentally Benign Pathway for Detection of Mercury Ions in Aqueous Phase. J Fluoresc 30, 773–785 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10895-020-02545-8

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