Studies on glucose detection using graphene quantum dots prepared by hydrothermal method

The increasing number of diabetic patients is a critical global challenge and monitoring of glucose level in blood via simple technique is of great importance. With this motivation, we have synthesized Graphene Quantum Dots (GQDs) for the detection of glucose. GQDs have significantly impacted the different fields of applications of bioengineering, pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, biosensors, fuel, energy, etc. GQDs are current research trends and are surpassing the technology platform due to their extraordinary physicochemical properties. Herein, GQDs were synthesized by low-temperature, cost-effective and environmentally benign hydrothermal method using citric acid as a carbon precursor. The formation of GQDs was confirmed using various analytical and characterization techniques. GQDs are considered a good sensing probe because of their low toxicity, high photoluminance, water solubility and excellent photochemical properties. Further, GQDs were employed as fluorescent probes for the detection of glucose. Photoluminance spectra of GQDs were used as a property of optical sensors for glucose. In the present study, modulation in fluorescence of GQDs was used to detect glucose in the range of 2.0 [Formula: see text]10^-5 M to 2.0 [Formula: see text]10^-4 M. The limit of detection (LOD) and binding constant was determined to be 1.5326 [Formula: see text] 10^-5 M and 4.05 [Formula: see text]10⁴ for the glucose, respectively. The synthesized GQD-based glucose sensor showed a recovery close to 100% tested for real urine samples. The GQDs-based fluorescent probe having potential analytical, and biomedical applications.