Title
Sulphur and nitrogen doped carbon dots synthesis by microwave assisted method as quantitative analytical nano-tool for mercury ion sensing
Author
Martyna Pajewska-Szmyt, Bogusław Buszewski, Renata Gadzała-Kopciuch
Year
2019
Journal
Materials Chemistry and Physics
Abstract
Quantum dots prepared from carbon precursors are a rising star among novel trends in the field of carbon materials. The subject of this paper is the synthesis of carbon dots that can serve as a sensor for determination of heavy metals such as mercury. Carbon dots were obtained in this study with a fast method of microwave synthesis and application of citric acid with glutathione or thiourea. Both versions of carbon dots have optical properties, i.e. fluorescence; however, when thiourea was used as a doping element precursor, the dots made better sensors as – due to quenching by mercury ions – the carbon dots synthesized from citric acid and thiourea have more significant optical effect than those made form citric acid and glutathione. As-synthesized carbon dots had relative quantum yield (QY) as 26% and the limit of quantification when these dots were used was 5.4 μM. In order to test the sensor efficiency in real samples, river water and wastewater were used.
Instrument
FP-8300
Keywords
Fluorescence, Optical properties, Chemical stability, Sensors, Quantum yield, Materials