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Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Synthesis and Functionalization of Nitrogen-doped Carbon Nanotube Cups with Gold Nanoparticles as Cork Stoppers
Published on: May 13, 2013
Blue emitting nitrogen-doped carbon dots as a fluorescent probe for nitrite ion sensing and cell-imaging
Jayasmita Jana1, Hye Jin Lee1, Jin Suk Chung1
1School of Chemical Engineering, University of Ulsan, Daehak-ro 93, Nam-gu, Ulsan, 44610, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
This study examined the efficiency of pH-dependent, fluorescent carbon dots for the sensing of hazardous anions in aqueous media and cell imaging. The nitrite anion, an important water-soluble element for environmental and biological systems, requires continuous monitoring because a high concentration can affect the systems severely. The as-synthesized carbon dots efficiently detected the nitrite anion in aqueous solution through a fluorescent 'Turn Off' phenomenon. The quenching mechanism was investigated through proper microscopic and spectroscopic studies. The limit of detection and linear detection range were 7.9 nM and 2.3μM-7.7 mM, respectively. The sensitivity was tested with different water samples. In a parallel experiment, the as-synthesized carbon dots were used as a cell-imaging probe for HeLa cells, highlighting their potential in different biological studies.
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