Posidonia oceanica (Mediterranean tapeweed) leaf litter as a source of fluorescent carbon dot preparations

A Fluorescence Turn On-off-on Method for Sensitive Detection of Sn2+ and Glycine Using Waste Eggshell Membrane Derived Carbon Nanodots as Probe

Changes in Sn2+ and glycine levels are relevant to many important physiological procedures in human health. However, investigation of their physiological functions is limited because few versatile methods towards Sn2+ and glycine detection have been developed. In this work, a fluorescence turn on-off-on strategy was firstly constructed for rapid and sensitive detection of Sn2+ and glycine through the specific binding between Sn2+ and glycine. Carbon nanodots (CDs) with a quantum yield of 19.5% were synthesized by utilizing inner film of waste eggshell as carbon source and employed as fluorescent probe. In the presence of Sn2+, the fluorescence of CDs was quenched by Sn2+ via the primary inner filter effect (IFE). However, the binding between Sn2+ and glycine prevented the IFE between Sn2+ and CDs, resulting in fluorescence recovery of CDs. Under optimized conditions, the fluorescent response of CDs displayed good linear relationships with the concentrations of Sn2+ in the range of 10-200 µM and 200-5000 µM, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 2.4 µM. For glycine detection, a good linear relationship was obtained in the concentration range of 5-1000 µM with a low LOD down to 0.76 µM. Moreover, the practicability of the assay was also demonstrated by measuring glycine content in human serum samples. This work provides an economical, green and fast method for biological analysis of Sn2+ and glycine.

Deciphering photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue by surface-tailored nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots derived from Kraft lignin

Lignin in black liquor can be used to manufacture carbon nanomaterials on a large scale. However, the effect of nitrogen doping on the physicochemical properties and photocatalytic performance of carbon quantum dots (NCQDs) remains to be explored. In this study, NCQDs with different properties were prepared hydrothermally by using kraft lignin as the raw material and EDA as a nitrogen dopant. The amount of EDA added affects the carbonization reaction and surface state of NCQDs. Raman spectroscopy showed that the surface defects increased from 0.74 to 0.84. Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) showed that NCQDs had different intensities of fluorescence emission at 300-420 nm and 600-900 nm. Meanwhile, NCQDs can photo-catalytically degrade 96 % of MB under simulated sunlight irradiation within 300 min. After three months of storage, the fluorescence intensity of NCQDs remained above 94 %, showing remarkable fluorescence stability. After four times of recycling, the photo-degradation rate of NCQDs was maintained above 90 %, confirming its outstanding stability. As a result, a clear understanding of the design of carbon-based photo-catalyst fabricated from the waste of the paper-making industry has been gained.

One-step synthesis of blue emission copper nanoclusters for the detection of furaltadone and temperature

Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), playing roles as a templating agent, can be applied to prepare blue-emitting copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs@PVP) on the basis of a rapid chemical reduction synthesis method. The Cu NCs@PVP displayed a blue emission wavelength at 430 nm and the corresponding quantum yield (QY) could reach 10.4%. Subsequently, the as-synthesized Cu NCs@PVP were used for the trace analysis of furaltadone based on the inner filter effect (IFE) between Cu NCs@PVP and furaltadone, which caused the fluorescence to be effectively quenched. Additionally, this proposed determination platform based on the Cu NCs@PVP for furaltadone sensing possessed an excellent linear range from 0.5 to 100 μM with a lower detection limit of 0.045 μM (S/N = 3). Meanwhile, the Cu NCs@PVP also could be applied for the sensing of temperature. Furthermore, the practicability of the sensing platform has been successfully verified by measuring furaltadone in real samples, affirming its potential to increase fields for the determination of furaltadone.

Facile Synthesis of N, S-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots from Food Waste as Fluorescent Probe for Sensitive Detection of Thiamphenicol and Its Analogues in Real Food Samples along with an Application in Bioimaging

Herein, N, S co-doped carbon quantum dots (N, S-CDs) with high absolute quantitative yield (Abs-QY) of 50.2% were produced by hydrothermal treatment of food residue crayfish shells. A new detection method of thiamphenicol (TAP) and its analogues was established by discovering the obvious fluorescence response between TAP and N, S-CDs, which achieved a wide linear range of 20–300 μg·L⁻¹ with a detection limit (LOD) of 11.12 μg·L⁻¹. This novel probe exhibited strong sensitivity and shows rapid response in complex food matrices (overall detection time is less than 45 min) mainly induced by static quenching. Spiked food sample recovery ranged from 97.3 to 99.34%. Further, the cell experiments of N, S-CDs were conducted, and the cell viability remained 91.76% under high concentration of N, S-CDs due to the environmentally friendly materials. The low cytotoxicity and good cytocompatibility make these N, S-CDs compatible for cell bioimaging and intracellular detection of TAP.

A facile fluorescent sensor based on nitrogen-doped carbon dots derived from Listeria monocytogenes for highly selective and visual detection of iodide and pH

Listeria monocytogenes-derived nitrogen-doped carbon dots served as a facile fluorescent sensor with excellent sensing performances for iodide with low detection limit of 20 nmol L−1 and wide pH range from 1.81 to 11.82.

The super typhoon Lekima (2019) resulted in massive losses in large seagrass (Zostera japonica) meadows, soil organic carbon and nitrogen pools in the intertidal Yellow River Delta, China

Seagrass meadows are key ecosystems, and they are among the most threatened habitats on the planet. Increased numbers of extreme climate events, such as hurricanes and marine heatwaves have caused severe damage to global seagrass meadows. The largest Zostera japonica meadows in China are located in the Yellow River Delta. It had a distribution area of 1031.8 ha prior to August 2019 when the Yellow River Delta was severely impacted by the passage of typhoon Lekima. In this study, we compared field data collected before and after the typhoon to determine its impact on seagrass beds in the Yellow River Delta. The super typhoon caused dramatic changes in Z. japonica in the Yellow River Delta, resulting in a greater than 100-fold decrease in distribution area, a greater than 35% loss of soil organic carbon, and a greater than 65% loss of soil total nitrogen in the top 35 cm sediments. Owing to the lack of seeds and overwintering shoots, as well as the small remaining distribution area, recovery was impossible, even though environmental factors were still suitable for species growth. Thus, restoration efforts are required for seagrass meadow recovery. Additionally, the long-term monitoring of this meadow will provide new information on the ecosystem's status and will be useful for future protection.

P-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots with Antibacterial Activity

It is a major challenge to effectively inhibit microbial pathogens in the treatment of infectious diseases. Research on the application of nanomaterials as antibacterial agents has evidenced their great potential for the remedy of infectious disease. Among these nanomaterials, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have attracted much attention owing to their unique optical properties and high biosafety. In this work, P-doped CQDs were prepared by simple hydrothermal treatment of m-aminophenol and phosphoric acid with fluorescence emission at 501 nm when excited at 429 nm. The P-doped CQDs showed effective antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of P-doped CQD were 1.23 mg/mL for E. coli and 1.44 mg/mL for S. aureus. Furthermore, the morphologies of E. coli cells were damaged and S. aureus became irregular when treated with the P-doped CQDs. The results of zeta potential analysis demonstrated that the P-doped CQDs inhibit antibacterial activity and destroy the structure of bacteria by electronic interaction. In combination, the results of this study indicate that the as-prepared P-doped CQDs can be a promising candidate for the treatment of bacterial infections.