Facile preparation of fluorescent carbon dots from water caltrop shells and their application in amikacin sensing

Amikacin (AMK) effectively treats infections from Gram-negative bacilli and penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. However, prolonged administration of AMK may result in adverse effects such as nausea, headache, ototoxicity, and hearing loss, necessitating a reliable detection method. Carbon dots (CDs), known for their excellent optical properties, are a promising fluorescent probe. This study developed cost-effective, eco-friendly WCS-CDs from water caltrop shells using a simple hydrothermal process for AMK detection and analysis. The WCS-CDs emitted at 380 nm when excited at 290 nm and demonstrated selective sensitivity to AMK, with fluorescence quenching linearly related to AMK concentration from 1.5 to 21.5 μg mL^-1 (Y = 376.98 + 57.75X, R ² = 0.992). This simple method allows for accurate AMK quantification in real samples, achieving recoveries of 95.58-105.63%.