Ultrasensitive and simultaneous detection of hydroquinone, catechol and resorcinol based on the electrochemical co-reduction prepared Au-Pd nanoflower/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite

Facile synthesis of sulfur quantum dots with red light emission: Implications for electrochemiluminescence analysis application

Sulfur quantum dots (SQDs) have been reported as a potential candidate due to their low toxicity and high luminescent performance. Here, SQDs with red light fluorescence (FL) emission were synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method using Na2CO3 as an etching agent, using sublimed sulfur powder as a sulfur source, and using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a stabilizer. The choice of etching agent (NaOH or Na2CO3) realized the tuning of SQDs' FL emission with blue and red light. The synthesized SQDs showed good FL stability and high FL efficiency, with a quantum yield of 1.03 % in an aqueous solution at 575 nm. In addition, stable and efficient electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emission was achieved by employing SQDs as ECL emitters with K2S2O8 as the co-reactant. The resorcinol (RS) can enhance the ECL intensity of the SQDs-K2S2O8 system, and the ECL intensity had a good linear relationship with the concentration of RS in a range from 2.5 nM to 25 nM with a detection limit of 0.61 nM. This work provides an emerging red-light luminescent SQDs, which would open up a way for the development of new types of luminophor in FL or ECL analysis. It also provides convenience for bio-labeling of live cells, in vivo imaging and provide new materials for photoelectric devices.

A bimetallic PtAu-modified carbon fiber electrochemical sensor for simultaneous and highly sensitive detection of catechol and hydroquinone in environmental water

In this study, we report the development of a novel electrochemical sensor capable of the simultaneous detection of catechol (CC) and hydroquinone (HQ) through differential pulse voltammetry. The sensor is constructed using carbon fiber (CF) that has been intricately modified with bimetallic PtAu nanoparticles. The fabrication process involves subjecting CF to ultrasound treatment in an acidic mixture, resulting in the formation of activated carbon fiber (ACF). This activation step not only enhances surface roughness but also facilitates subsequent modification, ensuring the stability of the material. Bimetallic PtAu nanoparticles are then uniformly deposited onto the ACF surface through co-deposition from a metal precursor solution. The modified ACF, adorned with bimetallic PtAu nanoparticles, exhibits excellent conductivity and efficiently catalyzes both CC and HQ in a 10 mM phosphate-buffered saline solution at pH 7.0, thereby enabling their simultaneous detection. Under optimized experimental conditions, this electrochemical sensor achieves impressive detection limits of 0.019 μM for CC and 0.28 μM for HQ within the same concentration range of 0.5-50 μM, respectively. The practicality of the sensor is further demonstrated through recovery experiments using real water samples. This electrochemical sensor, with its superior performance and versatility, shows great potential for applications in analytical chemistry and environmental monitoring.

Facile design of FeCu metal-organic frameworks anchored on layer Ti3C2Tx MXene for high-performance electrochemical sensing of resorcinol

This work reports the rational design of a composite material by growing FeCu-MOF-919 on the surface of layered Ti3C2Tx MXene. The introduction of Ti3C2Tx MXene simultaneously weakens the aggregation of FeCu-MOF-919 and Ti3C2Tx MXene, which increases the electrochemical reaction active site of the composite material and improves the electrochemical activity. Interestingly, the FeCu-MOF-919/Ti3C2Tx based sensors were used to detect resorcinol (RS) with a wide linear range (0.5-152.5 μM), excellent sensitivity (0.23 μA μM-1 cm-2), low limit of detection (LOD = 0.08 μM) and outstanding stability. Meanwhile, the sensor shows high repeatability of 1.07 % RSD, reproducibility of 1.47 % RSD and anti-interference performance. What's more, the sensor can be successfully used to detect RS in tap water with good recoveries (96.25-103.37 %, RSD ≤2.18 %), demonstrating that the FeCu-MOF-919/Ti3C2Tx exhibits significant potential as an advanced sensing apparatus for the surveillance of RS in the natural environment.

Microbial synthesis of antimony sulfide to prepare catechol and hydroquinone electrochemical sensor by pyrolysis and carbonization

The application of antimony sulfide sensors, characterized by their exceptional stability and selectivity, is of emerging interest in detection research, and the integration of graphitized carbon materials is expected to further enhance their electrochemical performance. This study represents a pioneering effort in the synthesis of carbon-doped antimony sulfide materials through the pyrolysis of the mixture of microorganisms and their synthetic antimony sulfide. The prepared materials are subsequently applied to electrochemical sensors for monitoring the highly toxic compounds catechol (CC) and hydroquinone (HQ) in the environment. Via cyclic voltammetry (CV) and impedance testing, we concluded that the pyrolytic product at 700 °C (Sb-700) demonstrated the best electrochemical properties. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) revealed impressive separation when utilizing Sb-700/GCE for simultaneous detection of CC and HQ, exhibiting good linearity within the concentration range of 0.1-140 μM. The achieved sensitivities of 24.62 μA μM-1 cm-2 and 22.10 μA μM-1 cm-2 surpassed those of most CC and HQ electrochemical sensors. Meanwhile, the detection limits for CC and HQ were as low as 0.18 μM and 0.16 μM (S/N = 3), respectively. Additional tests confirmed the good selectivity, reproducibility, and long-term stability of Sb-700/GCE, which was effective in detecting CC and HQ in tap water and river water, with recovery rates of 100.7%-104.5% and 96.5%-101.4%, respectively. It provides a method that combines green microbial synthesis and simple pyrolysis for the preparation of electrode materials in CC and HQ electrochemical sensors, and also offers a new perspective for the application of microbial synthesized materials.

An electrochemical sensor based on carbon composites derived from bisbenzimidazole biphenyl coordination polymers for dihydroxybenzene isomers detection

Co-based coordination polymers (CoCP) based on 4,4'-bis(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)-1,1'-biphenyl (BMB) ligand have been synthesized for the first time by the solvothermal method. The CoCP was carbonized at 700 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere to obtain carbide coordination polymer (C-CoCP) with a unique two-dimensional layered network structure. C-CoCP@GO was obtained by binding with GO and C-CoCP, its morphology and structure were investigated by XRD, SEM, EDS, FTIR, and TGA, which confirmed its two-dimensional stacked layered structure with high catalytic activity and large specific surface area. A highly sensitive electrochemical sensor was constructed for the simultaneous detection of hydroquinone and catechol based on the prepared carbon-based composite. Under optimized conditions, the working potentials (vs. Ag/AgCl) of HQ and CC are at 0.097 V and 0.213 V, respectively. The sensor exhibited an extremely wide linear range of 3-600 μM and 3-1750 μM for hydroquinone (HQ) and catechol (CC), respectively, with limits of detection (LOD) of 0.46 μM and 0.27 μM. The electrode material demonstrated stability over 14 days without significant attenuation of the response signal. Impressively, the sensor shows high stability, reproducibility, and selectivity due to the stable carbon skeleton structure of the C-CoCP material. In addition, it can be applied to the detection of hydroquinone in real samples with high interference immunity and high recovery. Hence, the C-CoCP@GO composite proved to be a great prospect and highly sensitive sensing platform for the detection of phenolic isomers.

Enhancing electrochemical sensing through the use of functionalized graphene composites as nanozymes

Graphene-based nanozymes possess inherent nanomaterial properties that offer not only a simple substitute for enzymes but also a versatile platform capable of bonding with complex biochemical environments. The current review discusses the replacement of enzymes in developing biosensors with nanozymes. Functionalization of graphene-based materials with various nanoparticles can enhance their nanozymatic properties. Graphene oxide functionalization has been shown to yield graphene-based nanozymes that closely mimic several natural enzymes. This review provides an overview of the classification, current state-of-the-art development, synthesis routes, and types of functionalized graphene-based nanozymes for the design of electrochemical sensors. Furthermore, it includes a summary of the application of functionalized graphene-based nanozymes for constructing electrochemical sensors for pollutants, drugs, and various water and food samples. Challenges related to nanozymes as electrocatalytic materials are discussed, along with potential solutions and approaches for addressing these shortcomings.

Synthesis of Graphene Oxide-Coupled CoNi Bimetallic MOF Nanocomposites for the Simultaneous Analysis of Catechol and Hydroquinone

Herein, a three-dimensional flower-like cobalt-nickel bimetallic metal-organic framework (CoNi-MOF) coupled with two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites was successfully synthesized for the selective and simultaneous electrochemical determination of catechol (CC) and hydroquinone (HQ). The three-dimensional flower-like structure of the CoNi-MOF/GO nanocomposite has a multilayer structure and a large surface area, which greatly improves its electrocatalytic activity towards CC and HQ. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) results showed that the peak-to-peak separation of CC (0.223 V) and HQ (0.120 V) was 103 mV at a CoNi-MOF/GO modified glassy carbon electrode (CoNi-MOF/GO/GCE), suggesting that the proposed modified electrode can selectively and simultaneously determine them. Under optimal conditions, the CoNi-MOF/GO/GCE showed an excellent analytical performance for the simultaneous determination of CC and HQ, including a wide linear range (0.1-100 μM), low detection limit (0.04 μM for HQ and 0.03 μM for CC) and high anti-interference ability. As expected, the developed modified electrode has been used to analyze CC and HQ in river water, with acceptable results.

Silver Nanoparticle-Embedded Conductive Hydrogels for Electrochemical Sensing of Hydroquinone

In this work, a conductive hydrogel was successfully synthesized, taking advantage of the high number density of active amino and hydroxyl groups in carboxymethyl chitosan and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose. These biopolymers were effectively coupled via hydrogen bonding with the nitrogen atoms of the heterocyclic rings of conductive polypyrrole. The inclusion of another biobased polymer, sodium lignosulfonate (LS), was effective to achieve highly efficient adsorption and in-situ reduction of silver ions, leading to silver nanoparticles that were embedded in the hydrogel network and used to further improve the electro-catalytic efficiency of the system. Doping of the system in the pre-gelled state led to hydrogels that could be easily attached to the electrodes. The as-prepared silver nanoparticle-embedded conductive hydrogel electrode exhibited excellent electro-catalytic activity towards hydroquinone (HQ) present in a buffer solution. At the optimum conditions, the oxidation current density peak of HQ was linear over the 0.1-100 μM concentration range, with a detection limit as low as 0.12 μM (signal-to-noise of 3). The relative standard deviation of the anodic peak current intensity was 1.37% for eight different electrodes. After one week of storage in a 0.1 M Tris-HCl buffer solution at 4 °C, the anodic peak current intensity was 93.4% of the initial current intensity. In addition, this sensor showed no interference activity, while the addition of 30 μM CC, RS, or 1 mM of different inorganic ions does not have a significant impact on the test results, enabling HQ quantification in actual water samples.

Bimetallic MOF synergy molecularly imprinted ratiometric electrochemical sensor based on MXene decorated with polythionine for ultra-sensitive sensing of catechol

Dual-signal ratiometric molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) electrochemical sensors with bimetallic active sites and high-efficiency catalytic activity were fabricated for the sensing of catechol (CC) with high selectivity and sensitivity. The amino-functionalization bimetallic organic framework materials (Fe@Ti-MOF-NH₂), coupled with two-dimensional layered titanium carbide (MXene) co-modified glassy carbon electrode provides an expanded surface while amplifying the output signal through the electropolymerization immobilization of polythionine (pTHi) and MIP. The oxidation of CC and pTHi were presented as the response signal and the internal reference signal. The oxidation peak current at +0.42 V rose with increased concentration of CC, while the peak currents of pTHi at -0.20 V remained constant. Compared to the common single-signal sensing system, this one (MIP/pTHi/MXene/Fe@Ti-MOF-NH₂/GCE), a novel ratiometric MIP electrochemical sensor exhibited two segments wide dynamic range of 1.0-300 μM (R² = 0.9924) and 300-4000 μM (R² = 0.9912), as well as an ultralow detection limit of 0.54 μM (S/N = 3). Due to the specific recognition function of MIPs and the advantages of built-in correction of pTHi, the prepared surface imprinting sensor presented an excellent performance in selectivity and reproducibility. Besides, this sensor possessed superior anti-interference ability with ions and biomolecules, excellent reproducibility, repeatability, and acceptable stability. Furthermore, the proposed sensing system exhibits high specific recognition in the determination of environmental matrices and biological fluids in real samples with satisfactory results. Therefore, this signal-enhanced ratiometric MIP electrochemical sensing strategy can accurately and selectively analyze and detect other substances.

Graphene electrochemical transistors decorated by Ag nanoparticles exhibiting high sensitivity for the detection of paraquat over a wide concentration range

Paraquat (PQ) is a nonselective contact herbicide used in agriculture for the control of broad leaf weeds, which would cause irreversible damage to human organs even at very low concentrations. Therefore, the trace residue detection of PQ in the environment is of vital importance. Here, a novel graphene electrochemical transistor (GECT) for PQ detection is reported for the first time. The key to the device design is the application of a layer of Ag nanoparticle (Ag NP) modified monolayer graphene as the channel layer. Due to the good electrochemical activity of Ag NPs for PQ detection, the device exhibits excellent sensitivity for PQ with the detection limit of 0.068 nM and a wide linear range from 0.1 nM to 5 mM. The GECT sensor also reveals good selectivity toward several common interferents and exhibits satisfactory recoveries for PQ detection when using Chinese cabbage as a simulant to deduce the real detection situation. The GECT sensor not only provides an efficient method for the detection of PQ residues, but also provides an effective grafting platform for the construction of novel high-sensitivity electrochemical sensors.

Hydrothermally Grown MoS2 as an Efficient Electrode Material for the Fabrication of a Resorcinol Sensor

Recently, the active surface modification of glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) has received much attention for the development of electrochemical sensors. Nanomaterials are widely explored as surface-modifying materials. Herein, we have reported the hydrothermal synthesis of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) and its electro-catalytic properties for the fabrication of a resorcinol sensor. Structural properties such as surface morphology of the prepared MoS₂ was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and phase purity was examined by employing the powder X-ray diffraction technique. The presence of Mo and S elements in the obtained MoS₂ was confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Finally, the active surface of the glassy carbon electrode was modified with MoS₂. This MoS₂-modified glassy carbon electrode (MGC) was explored as a potential candidate for the determination of resorcinol. The fabricated MGC showed a good sensitivity of 0.79 µA/µMcm² and a detection limit of 1.13 µM for the determination of resorcinol. This fabricated MGC also demonstrated good selectivity, and stability towards the detection of resorcinol.

Highly Selective and Sensitive Voltammetric Method for the Detection of Catechol in Tea and Water Samples Using Poly(gibberellic acid)-Modified Carbon Paste Electrode

Despite the wide range of applications of catechol (CC) in agrochemical, petrochemical, textile, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries, its exposure to the environment leads to health issues as it is carcinogenic. This increased the concern over the risk of exposure level of CC in the environment, and monitoring its level has become critical. In this work, we report the fabrication of poly-gibberellic acid-modified carbon paste electrode (PGBAMCPE) to be a simple, viable, and effective electrochemical electrode for the determination of CC. This was synthesized by a simple electropolymerization method by the cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique. The electrodes were characterized by field emission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Compared to the bare carbon paste electrode, the sensitivity for CC fortified at PGBAMCPE in both CV and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). We succeeded attaining a lower detection limit of 0.57 μM by the DPV method. The developed electrode was observed to be highly conductive, transducing, stable, and reproducible and was highly selective with anti-interfering properties from the determination of CC with hydroquinone simultaneously. The applicability of the electrode was confirmed from the detection CC in tea and water samples with good recoveries. This substantiates that PGBAMCPE is promising and consistent for the rapid monitoring of CC-contaminated area and clinical diagnosis.

Facile synthesis of nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots as nanocarbon emitters for sensitive detection of catechol

Development of nanomaterial-based electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emitters is highly desirable for the fabrication and wide applications of ECL sensors. Herein, nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs) were easily synthesized as nanocarbon emitters with anodic ECL for sensitive ECL determination of catechol (CC). Facile synthesis of NGQDs was easily achieved using molecular fusion of a carbon precursor in a one-step hydrothermal process. The synthesis has advantages of simple and convenient operation and high yield. The as-prepared NGQDs have uniform size, good crystallinity, single-layered graphene structure, and excitation-independent fluorescence. In the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), NGQDs exhibit high anodic ECL owing to the presence of functional hydrazide groups. As CC could significantly reduce the ECL intensity of NGQDs, sensitive determination of CC was realized with a linear range from 100 nM to 10 μM and 10 μM to 60 μM with a low limit of detection (LOD, 42 nM). The determination of CC in environmental water was also achieved with high reliability.

Nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots are easily synthesized and can be used as nanocarbon emitters for sensitive electrochemiluminescence detection of catechol.

Picomolar level electrochemical detection of hydroquinone, catechol and resorcinol simultaneously using a MoS2 nano-flower decorated graphene

A Graphene-Molybdenum disulphide nanocomposite was developed for the simultaneous electrochemical detection of dihydroxy benzene isomers attributed to the structural aspects.

An ordered one-step colorimetric sensor for the selective determination of catechol based on the polyacrylic acid-coated cerium oxide with laccase-like activity

A sensitive colorimetric sensor was constructed for an ordered and one-step determination of catechol based on PAA-CeO2 with a significant laccase-like activity.

Specific sensing of resorcin based on the hierarchical porous nanoprobes constructed by cuttlefish-derived biomaterials through differential pulse voltammetry

The specific detection of resorcin from its isomers is a current research hotspot. Thus in our work, a ternary hierarchical porous nanoprobe has been constructed based on the combination of cuttlefish ink and bimetallic Au@Ag nanoclusters for the specific sensing of resorcin. Briefly, through electrostatic interaction, Au@Ag core-shell nanoclusters are immobilized on the surface of polydopamine extracted from cuttlefish, which is turned into nitrogen-doped porous carbon functionalized by bimetallic Au@Ag by topological transformation subsequently. Afterward, an electrochemical sensor is fabricated based on the nanoprobes for specifically determining resorcin in solution by differential pulse voltammetry, and the linear detection ranges of the sensor are 1-100 μM and 1.2-4 mM while the detection limit reaches 0.06 μM. Meanwhile, the sensing mechanism of resorcin by the pre-fabricated sensor is detailedly studied by density functional theory to obtain a clear electrochemical process. Besides, the selectivity, stability, plus reproducibility of the pre-fabricated sensor have been also tested, and the determinations for resorcin in real environmental water samples have also been performed with good recoveries, revealing the auspicious application potential in the environmental monitoring.

Simultaneous Detection of Dihydroxybenzene Isomers Using Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide-Carboxylated Carbon Nanotubes/Gold Nanoparticles Nanocomposite

An electrochemical sensor based on electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ErGO), carboxylated carbon nanotubes (cMWCNT), and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) (GCE/ErGO-cMWCNT/AuNPs) was developed for the simultaneous detection of dihidroxybenzen isomers (DHB) hydroquinone (HQ), catechol (CC), and resorcinol (RS) using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The fabrication and optimization of the system were evaluated with Raman Spectroscopy, SEM, cyclic voltammetry, and DPV. Under optimized conditions, the GCE/ErGO-cMWCNT/AuNPs sensor exhibited a linear concentration range of 1.2–170 μM for HQ and CC, and 2.4–400 μM for RS with a detection limit of 0.39 μM, 0.54 μM, and 0.61 μM, respectively. When evaluated in tap water and skin-lightening cream, DHB multianalyte detection showed an average recovery rate of 107.11% and 102.56%, respectively. The performance was attributed to the synergistic effects of the 3D network formed by the strong π–π stacking interaction between ErGO and cMWCNT, combined with the active catalytic sites of AuNPs. Additionally, the cMWCNT provided improved electrocatalytic properties associated with the carboxyl groups that facilitate the adsorption of the DHB and the greater amount of active edge planes. The proposed GCE/ErGO-cMWCNT/AuNPs sensor showed a great potential for the simultaneous, precise, and easy-to-handle detection of DHB in complex samples with high sensitivity.

Coomassie brilliant blue G 250 modified carbon paste electrode sensor for the voltammetric detection of dihydroxybenzene isomers

In this present study, coomassie brilliant blue G-250 (CBBG) modified electrode was fabricated for the specific and simultaneous detection of three dihydroxybenzene isomers such as resorcinol (RS), catechol (CC) and hydroquinone (HQ). The fabrication of the modified electrode was carried out by electrochemical polymerization of CBBG on the surface of unmodified electrode. The surface structures of bare and fabricated electrode were studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The established electrode portrays the very fine interface with these isomers and displayed the sufficient sensitivity and selectivity. The specific parameters of pH solution, scan rate and varying the concentration of analytes were optimized at the modified electrode. The sensor process was originated to be adsorption-controlled activity and the low limit of detection (LOD) for RS and CC was attained at 0.24 and 0.21 µM respectively. In the simultaneous study, designed sensor clearly implies the three well separated anodic peaks for RS, HQ and CC nevertheless in unmodified electrode it failed. Also, the constructed electrode was applied for the real sample analysis in tap water and obtained results are agreeable and it consistent in-between 92.80–99.48%.

Tuning Electrocatalytic Aptitude by Incorporating α-MnO2 Nanorods in Cu-MOF/rGO/CuO Hybrids: Electrochemical Sensing of Resorcinol for Practical Applications

In this study, Cu-MOF/rGO/CuO/α-MnO₂ nanocomposites have been fabricated by a one-step hydrothermal method and used in the voltammetric detection of resorcinol (RS). The poor conductivity of MOFs in the field of electrochemical sensing is still a major challenge. A series of Cu-MOF/rGO/CuO/α-MnO₂ nanocomposites have been synthesized with varying fractions of rGO and with a fixed amount of α-MnO₂ via a facile method. These nanocomposites are well characterized using some sophisticated characterization techniques. The as-prepared nanohybrids have strongly promoted the redox reactions at the electrode surface due to their synergistic effects of improved conductivity, high electrocatalytic activity, an enlarged specific surface area, and a plethora of nanoscale level interfacial collaborations. The electrode modified with Cu-MOF/rGO/CuO/α-MnO₂ has revealed superior electrochemical properties demonstrating linear differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) responses from a 0.2 to 22 μM RS concentration range (R² = 0.999). The overall results of this sensing podium have shown excellent stability, good recovery, and a low detection limit of 0.2 μM. With excellent sensing performance achieved, the practicability of the sensor has been evaluated to detect RS in commercial hair color samples as well as in tap water and river water samples. Therefore, we envision that our hybrid nanostructures synthesized by the structural integration strategy will open new horizons in material synthesis and biosensing platforms.

Based on Gold Nanoparticles-L-Tyr-Amino Functionalized Mesoporous Materials-Polyphenol Oxidase Modified Biosensor for the Detection of Resorcinol

Nowadays, resorcinol (RC) has been widely applied in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. However, the electrochemical detection technique of RC still features some significant drawbacks, for instance, a low sensitivity. Hence, in the present work, a glass carbon electrode was developed for the electrochemical detection of RC with good specificity and stability, through modifying the glass carbon electrode (GCE) by polyphenol oxidase (PPO), an NH₂-SBA-15 mesoporous material (NH₂-SBA-15), L-tyrosine (L-Tyr) and gold nano-particles (AuNPs). After being successively modified by AuNPs, L-Tyr, NH₂-SBA-15 and PPO, the constructed PPO/NH₂-SBA-15/L-Tyr/AuNPs/GCE was used to discriminate RC from ions and other common micromolecules, which showed a fairly good specificity and stability. The proposed electrochemical detection method features a linear range of from 0.5 to 21.0 μM with a LOD down to 0.15 μM, revealing a better sensitivity than the existing methods. It is worth mentioning that the proposed PPO/NH₂-SBA-15/L-Tyr/AuNPs/GCE has been successfully used as an electrochemical probe for the RC assay in domestic sewage.

Facile synthesis of doped CxNy QDs as photoluminescent matrix for direct detection of hydroquinone

In this work, we are reporting facile hydrothermal synthesis of a highly photoluminescent doped carbon nitride quantum dots (C_xN_yQDs) and implied it for direct detection of hydroquinone (H₂Q) by photoluminescence quenching phenomenon. Oxygen and sulphur moieties are regarded as dopant species in C_xN_yQDs and sourced from cheap solid precursors viz. cysteine and maleic acid. Morphological studies of C_xN_yQDs have done by SEM and TEM techniques, while structural analysis has carried out using FTIR, XPS, EDS and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The strong tendency of dispersivity of this QD in water has revealed by its zeta potential value of -32.4 mV. Optical properties of the as-prepared QDs have optimized at different excitation wavelengths. The photoluminescence stability of the dispersion is tested in various pH solutions and under continuous UV irradiation (365 nm). After that, sensing property is observed in quenching of photoluminescence feature of as-prepared QDs by direct addition of various concentrations of H₂Q. We obtained lower detection limit (LOD) of 50 nM (S/N = 3) in linear range from 12 to 57.5 μM. The reduction in photoluminescence of QDs may be attributed to electron transfer from QDs to oxidized H₂Q via -S^- and -COO^- groups present at its surface. Further, as-prepared QDs matrix exhibited high selectivity for hydroquinone over a range of potential interfering agents. Thus, the present work shows cost-effective facile synthesis of highly stable O- and S-doped carbon nitride (C_xN_y) quantum dots as promising photoluminescent sensor for pollutant hydroquinone without help of any enzyme or polymer assisted system.