Facile and sustainable synthesis of sodium lignosulfonate derived carbon quantum dots for the detection of total Mn and ascorbic acid

Abstract

A fluorescent nanoprobe based on sodium lignosulfonate derived carbon quantum dots (SLS-CQDs) was fabricated through a facile and sustainable one-step hydrothermal treatment. The obtained SLS-CQDs had excellent fluorescence properties and were applied to detect total Mn and ascorbic acid (AA). The fluorescence of SLS-CQDs could be effectively quenched by Mn based on a static quenching process and recovered by the addition of AA. An “on–off-on” fluorescent nanoprobe was established to determine total Mn and AA with the detection limits of 6.9 µg/L and 0.65 µM with the corresponding linear ranges of 0.25–2.25, 5–25 mg/L, and 5–110 µM, respectively. This nanoprobe could accurately detect total Mn in surface water and AA in Vitamin C effervescent tablet samples. The proposed method is simple and can be performed easily, indicating that SLS-CQDs might be used in environmental monitoring, food and drug testing.

Keywords

• SLS-CQDs
• An “on–off-on” fluorescent nanoprobe
• Mn
• Ascorbic acid