Carbon Dots Employed for the Detection of Ranitidine and Elaborating the Detecting Mechanism

Area of Science:

• Nanomaterials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Carbon dots (CDs) are versatile nanomaterials with excellent optical properties and stability, making them suitable for various analytical applications.
• Drug analysis often requires sensitive and selective detection methods to ensure accurate quantification and quality control.
• Ranitidine is a widely used medication, and its reliable detection is crucial for pharmaceutical quality and therapeutic monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, rapid, and sensitive method for detecting ranitidine.
• To synthesize bright-blue fluorescent carbon dots using a facile microwave-assisted method.
• To investigate the fluorescence quenching mechanism of carbon dots upon interaction with ranitidine.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of soluble bright-blue fluorescent carbon dots via microwave irradiation using disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and phosphoric acid.
• Development of a fluorescence-based detection method for ranitidine by observing fluorescence quenching of carbon dots.
• Characterization of the detection method's selectivity, anti-interference ability, linearity, and limit of detection.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized bright-blue fluorescent carbon dots.
• Established a ranitidine detection method based on the fluorescence quenching of carbon dots, demonstrating favorable selectivity and anti-interference.
• Achieved a linear relationship between the fluorescence ratio (F0/F) and ranitidine concentration (6–2000 µM) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9833.
• Determined a limit of detection (LOD) of 4.2 µM for ranitidine.
• Elucidated the detection mechanism as the inner filter effect.

Conclusions:

• The developed carbon dot-based method provides an efficient and sensitive approach for ranitidine detection.
• The facile synthesis and favorable analytical performance of the carbon dots broaden their application in drug analysis.
• This study offers a promising platform for developing advanced diagnostic tools based on carbon dots.