MoS₂ QDs/8-Armed Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Fluorescence Sensor for Three Nitrotoluenes (TNT) Detection

In this work, ammonia cross-linked 8-armed polyethylene glycol hydrogel material was successfully synthesized and used as a template for synthesizing nanoparticles with fluorescent properties. The 8-armed polyethylene glycol hydrogel template was used to prepare molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (MoS₂ QDs). The ammonium tetrathiomolybdate functioned as a molybdenum source and hydrazine hydrate functioned as a reducing agent. The fluorescence properties of the as-prepared MoS₂ QDs were investigated. The bursting of fluorescence caused by adding different concentrations of explosive TNT was studied. The study indicated that the synthesized MoS₂ QDs can be used for trace TNT detection with a detection limit of 6 nmol/L and a detection range of 16-700 nmol/L. Furthermore, it indicated that the fluorescence-bursting mechanism is static bursting.