One-Step Synthesis of Nitrogen/Fluorine Co-Doped Carbon Dots for Use in Ferric Ions and Ascorbic Acid Detection
Yan Zhao,
Xiaoxuan Zhu,
Lu Liu,
Zhiqing Duan,
Yanping Liu,
Weiyuan Zhang,
Jingjing Cui,
Yafang Rong,
Chen Dong
Affiliations
Yan Zhao
School of Chemical Engineering, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
Xiaoxuan Zhu
School of Chemical Engineering, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
Lu Liu
School of Chemical Engineering, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
Zhiqing Duan
School of Chemical Engineering, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
Yanping Liu
School of Chemical Engineering, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
Weiyuan Zhang
School of Chemical Engineering, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
Jingjing Cui
School of Chemical Engineering, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
Yafang Rong
Shandong Zhengyuan Geophysical Information Technology Co., Ltd., Jinan 250000, China
Chen Dong
Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, International Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials Technology and Application, CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
Carbon dots (CDs) have caught enormous attention owing to their distinctive properties, such as their high water solubility, tunable optical properties, and easy surface modification, which can be generally used for the detection of heavy metals and organic pollutants. Herein, nitrogen and fluorine co-doped carbon dots (NFCDs) were designed via a rapid, low-cost, and one-step microwave-assisted technique using DL-malic acid and levofloxacin. The NFCDs emitted intense green fluorescence under UV lighting, and the optical emission peak at 490 nm was observed upon a 280 nm excitation, with a high quantum yield of 21.03%. Interestingly, the spectral measurements illustrated excitation-independent and concentration-independent single-color fluorescence owing to the presence of nitrogen and fluorine elements in the surface functional groups. Additionally, the NFCDs were applied for the selective detection of Fe3+ and ascorbic acid based on the “turn-off” mode. The detection limits were determined as 1.03 and 4.22 µM, respectively. The quenching mechanisms were explored using the static quenching mechanism and the inner filter effect. Therefore, a NFCDs fluorescent probe with single color emission was successfully developed for the convenient and rapid detection of Fe3+ and ascorbic acid in environments.
