A dual-mode fluorescent probe based on carbon dots for detecting solution polarity

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Carbon dots are highly regarded fluorescent probes due to their biocompatibility and tunable fluorescence.
• Dual-mode carbon dots probes enhance quantitative detection accuracy.
• Existing dual-mode probes typically rely on wavelength and intensity changes within down-conversion luminescence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel dual-mode fluorescent carbon dots probe.
• To utilize both down-conversion and up-conversion luminescence for detection.
• To investigate the probe's performance with varying solvent polarity.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of 1,10-phenanthroline-based carbon dots (Ph-CDs).
• Characterization of Ph-CDs' dual-mode luminescence properties.
• Evaluation of luminescence response to solvent polarity.

Main Results:

• The developed Ph-CDs exhibit simultaneous down-conversion and up-conversion luminescence.
• Ph-CDs show strong linear correlations with solvent polarity for both luminescence modes (R² = 0.9909 for down-conversion, R² = 0.9374 for up-conversion).
• This dual-mode detection offers enhanced accuracy and reliability.

Conclusions:

• Ph-CDs represent a new approach for designing fluorescent probes with dual-mode detection capabilities.
• The probe provides more accurate, reliable, and convenient detection results.
• This work offers new insights into the design principles of advanced fluorescent probes.