A novel photoluminescence sensing system sensitive for and selective to bromate anions based on carbon dots

• Published in: RSC advances Vol. 6; no. 66; pp. 61891 - 61896
• Main Authors: Li, Ping, Sun, Xiang-Ying, Shen, Jiang-Shan, Liu, Bin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Anions; Bromates; Carbon; Detection; Drinking water; Nanoparticles; Photoluminescence; Polyetherimides
• ISSN: 2046-2069; 2046-2069
• DOI: 10.1039/C6RA12936F

A sensitive and selective chemosensing system for bromate anions (BrO 3 − anions) is highly demand due to the serious toxicity of BrO 3 − anions. In this report, polymeric ethylene imine (PEI) functionalized photoluminescent carbon dots (CDs@PEI) were prepared by the thermal pyrolysis of citric acid and PEI. The as-prepared CDs@PEI were successfully employed to establish a photoluminescence (PL)-based sensing system for BrO 3 − anions with high sensitivity and selectivity. The experimental conditions were systemically optimized, and a linear relationship between the PL quenching rate of the CDs@PEI and BrO 3 − anion concentration in the range from 0.04 to 0.35 μM could be obtained, with a very low limit of detection of ca . 0.17 nM. The proposed method was further employed to determine BrO 3 − anions in drinking water, bottled water and lake water samples with good recoveries. This established method was also successfully employed to detect BrO 3 − anion content in practical pastry samples.