Ion-Imprinted Polymer Modified with Carbon Quantum Dots as a Highly Sensitive Copper(II) Ion Probe

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Developing selective and sensitive sensors for heavy metal detection is crucial for environmental monitoring.
• Fluorescence analysis and ion imprinting offer promising avenues for sensor fabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel fluorescence sensor for selective detection of copper ions (Cu(II)).
• To combine carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and ion imprinting technology for enhanced sensor performance.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized CQDs via hydrothermal process using citric acid.
• Grafted CQDs onto SBA-15 mesoporous molecular sieve via amidation.
• Fabricated the CQDs@Cu-IIP sensor using surface imprinting with copper ions as templates.

Main Results:

• The CQDs@Cu-IIP sensor exhibited strong fluorescence and high selectivity for Cu(II).
• A good linear relationship was observed between fluorescence intensity and Cu(II) concentration (0.25-2 mg/L and 3-10 mg/L).
• The sensor achieved good recoveries (99.29-105.42%) in real water sample analysis.

Conclusions:

• The developed CQDs@Cu-IIP sensor is effective for the selective and sensitive determination of trace copper ions.
• This study presents a general strategy for fabricating CQD-based materials for heavy metal detection.