Fluorescent Molecular Imprinted Sensor Based on Carbon Quantum Dot for Nitrofen Detection in Water Sample

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Nitrofen is a stable environmental pollutant that resists natural degradation and can bioaccumulate.
• Existing detection methods may lack specificity, sensitivity, or speed for environmental monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel sensor for the specific and sensitive detection of nitrofen residues.
• To create a material combining the advantages of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and molecular imprinting technology (MIPs).

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a sensor using carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and molecular imprinting technology (MIPs) (CQDs@MIPs).
• Characterization of CQDs@MIPs using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Zeta potential analysis.
• Evaluation of sensor performance including detection limit, range, linearity, and stability.
• Integration with RGB color model extraction and smartphone application for visual detection.

Main Results:

• The CQDs@MIP sensor demonstrated high specificity and stability for nitrofen detection.
• Achieved a low detection limit (2.5 × 10^-3 mg·L^-1) and a wide detection range (0.01-40 mg·L^-1) with rapid detection time (5 min).
• The sensor showed excellent stability over 20 days and accurate recovery rates (84.1%-115.7%) in real water samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed CQDs@MIP sensor is a promising tool for the visual and sensitive detection of nitrofen in environmental samples.
• The sensor offers advantages in terms of specificity, stability, speed, and ease of use.
• This technology has high analytical potential for real-world environmental monitoring applications.