High-quantum Yield Carbon Dots as Selective Fluorescence Turn-off Probe for Bromate Detection in Food Samples Via...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Bromate is a potential carcinogen requiring sensitive detection methods.
• Fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) offer promising sensing capabilities due to their unique optical properties.
• Developing cost-effective and efficient N-doped CDs is crucial for advanced sensing applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) using a simple hydrothermal method.
• To develop a sensitive and selective fluorescent sensing platform for bromate detection.
• To evaluate the practical applicability of the N-CDs in real-world samples.

Main Methods:

• Facile one-step hydrothermal synthesis of N-CDs using honeysuckle and ethylenediamine.
• Characterization using TEM, FT-IR, and XPS to confirm N-CD properties.
• Development of a fluorescence quenching assay for bromate detection in HCl medium.

Main Results:

• Synthesized N-CDs exhibited strong blue fluorescence with a high quantum yield (60.53%).
• A linear correlation was established between bromate concentration and fluorescence quenching (R² = 0.9965).
• Achieved a low detection limit of 14 ng·mL⁻¹ for bromate with high recovery rates in food and water samples.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized N-CDs are effective fluorescent probes for bromate detection.
• The developed method demonstrates high sensitivity, selectivity, and practical applicability.
• N-CDs show great potential for monitoring bromate in food and environmental matrices.