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Carbon Dots as “On–Off–On” Fluorescence Sensors for Selective and Consecutive Detection of 4-Nitrophenol and Cerium(IV) in Water Samples

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Abstract

An “on–off–on” fluorescence sensor was designed for rapidly and consecutively detecting 4-nitrophenol and cerium(IV) without the use of any labeling materials. The yellow carbon dots were synthesized by a simple one-step hydrothermal approach, and various techniques were applied to investigate the morphology, structure, and optical properties of the carbon dots. Under the optimal experimental conditions, 4-nitrophenol rapidly quenched the fluorescence of carbon dots as a result of the inner filter effect (IFE). The fluorescence intensity of carbon dots was linear with the concentration of 4-nitrophenol (1–150 μmol/L) and the limit of detection was 0.32 μmol/L. The fluorescence was gradually recovered as the cerium(IV) concentration (0.5–100 μmol/L) increased in CDs/4-NP, and the limit of detection was 0.16 μmol/L. The sensor showed good selectivity and demonstrated high accuracy for the analysis of 4-nitrophenol and cerium(IV) in actual water samples.

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Funding

We are thankful to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22274096 and 22272119), the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project (2021SHZDZX0100), the Science and Technology Committee of Shanghai Municipality (2022-4-ZD-03), the Shanghai Pilot Program for Basic Research, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China

    Jing Yang, Hao Liu, Yan Huang, Li Li & Yaping Ding

  2. School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China

    Huajie Liu

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  1. Jing Yang
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  2. Hao Liu
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  3. Yan Huang
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  4. Li Li
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  5. Huajie Liu
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Correspondence to Li Li, Huajie Liu or Yaping Ding.

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Yang, J., Liu, H., Huang, Y. et al. Carbon Dots as “On–Off–On” Fluorescence Sensors for Selective and Consecutive Detection of 4-Nitrophenol and Cerium(IV) in Water Samples. J. Anal. Test. 8, 201–209 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41664-023-00288-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41664-023-00288-6

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