Sensitive fluorescence sensor for isoliquiritigenin determination based on N-doped carbon dots

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Precise determination of isoliquiritigenin (ISO) is crucial for human health and environmental safety.
• Fluorescence nanosensors based on carbon dots (CDs) are emerging as sensitive analytical tools.
• Developing novel carbon dot-based sensors is essential for accurate analyte detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize biomass nitrogen-doped carbon dots (BN-CDs) for isoliquiritigenin (ISO) detection.
• To establish a fluorescence nanosensor for the precise quantification of ISO.
• To evaluate the performance and applicability of the BN-CDs sensor in real samples.

Main Methods:

• Biomass nitrogen-doped carbon dots (BN-CDs) were synthesized using a one-pot hydrothermal method with lemon peel and melamine.
• The structural and optical properties of BN-CDs were analyzed using various analytical techniques.
• The fluorescence quenching of BN-CDs upon ISO addition was measured to establish a quantitative relationship.

Main Results:

• BN-CDs exhibited excellent UV resistance and biocompatibility.
• A significant fluorescence quenching of BN-CDs was observed in the presence of ISO.
• An eminent linear relationship was established between ln(F0/F) and ISO concentration (0-50 μM) with R² = 0.9978.
• A low detection limit of 0.056 μM was achieved.
• The nanosensor demonstrated satisfactory recoveries (93.3-103.9%) in real sample analysis.

Conclusions:

• The developed BN-CDs serve as a distinguished fluorescence nanosensor for accurate ISO determination.
• This research provides a theoretical basis for ISO detection using blue-emitting carbon dots.
• The BN-CDs nanosensor shows significant potential for practical applications in health and environmental monitoring.