Ultra-sensitive and selective Hg2+ detection based on fluorescent carbon dots

• Published in: Materials research bulletin Vol. 48; no. 7; pp. 2529 - 2534
• Main Authors: Liu, Ruihua, Li, Haitao, Kong, Weiqian, Liu, Juan, Liu, Yang, Tong, Cuiyan, Zhang, Xing, Kang, Zhenhui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2013
• Subjects: A. Optical materials; B. Chemical synthesis; D. Optical properties; B. Chemical synthesis; A. Optical materials; D. Optical properties
• ISSN: 0025-5408; 1873-4227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.materresbull.2013.03.015

Fluorescent carbon dots were efficiently synthesized by one-step sodium hydroxide-assisted reflux method from PEG and demonstrated to show high selectivity toward Hg2+ ions detection. •FCDs were synthesized by one-step sodium hydroxide-assisted reflux method from PEG.•The FCDs emit blue photoluminescence and have upconversion fluorescent property.•The FCDs show ultra-sensitive detective ability for Hg2+ ions. Fluorescent carbon dots (FCDs) were efficiently synthesized by one-step sodium hydroxide-assisted reflux method from poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The obtained FCDs exhibit excellent water-solubility and high stability. Under the UV irradiation, the FCDs could emit bright blue photoluminescence, and also they were found to show excellent up-conversion fluorescence. It was further demonstrated that such FCDs can serve as effective fluorescent sensing platform for Hg2+ ions detection with ultra-sensitivity and selectivity. The sensing system achieved a limit of detection as low as 1fM, which is much lower than all the previous reported sensing systems for Hg2+ ions detection. This FCDs sensing system has been successfully applied for the analysis of Hg2+ ions in water samples from river, lake, and tap water, showing good practical feasibility.