N,S-doped carbon quantum dots as a fluorescent probe for palladium(II) ions via Förster resonance energy transfer

Abstract

The wide use of palladium in chemical industry may lead to the serious environmental issue. In this work, we reported a green light emitted nitrogen-sulfur-doped carbon quantum dots (N,S-GCDs) as a fluorescent probe for the selective and sensitive detection of palladium ions (Pd2+) in photoluminescence quenching via Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Under optimal conditions, the as-prepared N,S-GCDs exhibited a good linear relationship between fluorescence response and Pd2+ concentration ranging from 0 to 150 µM with a detection limit of 0.12 µM. Furthermore, the N,S-GCDs probe has also been used to detect Pd2+ in real water samples.

Keywords

• Carbon quantum dots
• Palladium ions detection
• Förster resonance energy transfer