ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Construction of a dual luminescent system for specific detection of Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺ and ofloxacin in solution using nitrogen-doped biomass carbon quantum dots

Mingjun Fu, Shujia Chen, Shichang Song, Wuqian Zhong, Ruotian Yu, Zeyu Li, Yuwei Lan, and Liya Zhou

College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, China

E-mail: lanyuwei78@163.com

Received: 3 August 2024  Accepted: 6 March 2025

Abstract:

In this paper, dual luminescence nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (By-CQDs) were prepared using green hazelnut kernel shells and o-phenylenediamine. Through systematic optimization of reaction conditions, including temperature and time, a stable and reproducible preparation protocol was established. This approach has yielded significant results through straightforward preparation and characterization techniques, enabling the high-sensitivity multi-target detection of pollutants such as Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺, and OFX. These pollutants can cause water and soil contamination, further affecting ecosystems and public health. The By-CQDs selectively detected Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺ and OFX with detection limits of 0.21 µM, 0.55 µM and 54.18 nM, respectively. Notably, when detecting both Fe³⁺ and Cu²⁺ simultaneously, the detection signals of the two ions did not interfere with each other. This feature allows for accurate quantitative analysis of metal ions within the same detection system, significantly enhancing detection efficiency. Furthermore, By-CQDs were successfully applied to detect Fe³⁺ and Cu²⁺ in brown sugar with recoveries ranging from 97.60 to 109.60% and to detect OFX in real samples with recoveries ranging from 97.55 to 102.32%. This study provides an innovative and reliable method for multifunctional fluorescent sensors for waste resource utilization and multi-target substance detection, which has a promising future for practical applications.

Keywords: Carbon Materials; Fluorescence Spectroscopy; Metal Ions; Nanosensors; Quantum Dots; Quantum Imaging and Sensing; Carbon quantum dots; Dual luminescence; Ferric and cuprous metal ions; Ofloxacin; Multifunctional fluorescence sensors

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04035-2

Chemical Papers 79 (6) 3821–3838 (2025)