“Turn on” Fluorescence Sensor of Glutathione Based on Inner Filter Effect of Co-Doped Carbon Dot/Gold Nanoparticle Composites

Microwave synthesized novel biomass carbon dots applied in the fluorescent detection of crystal violet

To establish a new method for detecting crystal violet (CV), a harmful dye, herein, a genre of novel biomass carbon dots (CDs) was synthesized via a microwave method and employed as a fluorescent probe, in which water spinach and polyethylene glycol (PEG) performed as raw materials. Based on the inner filter effect (IFE) between the luminescent CDs and CV, the blue emission of this probe at 430 nm could be quenched by CV. Hence, a new strategy was proposed to selectively determine CV in aquaculture ambient. Moreover, under the optimal experiment conditions, this method showed a good linearity between the concentration of CV (c) and fluorescence quenching rate (ΔF/F0) in the concentration range of 4-200 μmol/L with the corresponding correlation coefficient (r) and the detection limit of 0.997 and 710 nmol/L, respectively. With advantages of environmental protectivity, sensitivity, affordability, and user-friendliness, the facilely fabricated CDs could be successfully applied in detecting CV in aquaculture samples, providing a technical foundation for monitoring the pollution of CV and ensuring the quality and safety of aquatic products.

Carbon dots@noble metal nanoparticle composites: research progress report

Carbon dots@noble metal nanoparticle composites are formed by combining carbon dots and metal nanoparticles using various strategies. Carbon dots exhibit a reducing ability and function as stabilisers; consequently, metal-ion solutions can be directly reduced by them to synthesise gold, silver, and gold-silver alloy particles. Carbon dots@gold/silver/gold-silver particle composites have demonstrated the potential for several practical applications owing to their superior properties and simple preparation process. Until now, several review articles have been published to summarise fluorescent carbon dots or noble metal nanomaterials. Compared with metal-free carbon dots, carbon dots@noble metal nanoparticles have a unique morphology and structure, resulting in new physicochemical properties, which allow for sensing, bioimaging, and bacteriostasis applications. Therefore, to promote the effective development of carbon dots@noble metal nanoparticle composites, this paper primarily reviews carbon dots@gold/silver/gold-silver alloy nanoparticle composites for the first time in terms of the following aspects. (1) The synthesis strategies of carbon dots@noble metal nanoparticle composites are outlined. The principle and function of carbon dots in the synthesis strategies are examined. The advantages and disadvantages of these methods and composites are analysed. (2) The characteristics and properties of such composites are described. (3) The applications of these composite materials are summarised. Finally, the potentials and limitations of carbon dots@noble metal nanoparticle composites are discussed, thus laying the foundation for their further development.

Current Progress of Ratiometric Fluorescence Sensors Based on Carbon Dots in Foodborne Contaminant Detection

Carbon dots (CDs) are widely used in the detection of foodborne contaminants because of their biocompatibility, photoluminescence stability, and ease of chemical modification. In order to solve the interference problem of complexity in food matrices, the development of ratiometric fluorescence sensors shows great prospects. In this review, the progress of ratiometric fluorescence sensors based on CDs in foodborne contaminant detection in recent years will be summarized, focusing on the functionalized modification of CDs, the fluorescence sensing mechanism, the types of ratiometric fluorescence sensors, and the application of portable devices. In addition, the outlook on the development of the field will be presented, with the development of smartphone applications and related software helping to better enable the on-site detection of foodborne contaminants to ensure food safety and human health.

Glutathione Fluorescence Sensing Based on a Co-Doped Carbon Dot/Manganese Dioxide Nanocoral Composite

Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant thiol that has a vital role in the pathogenesis of various human diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Hence, it is necessary to study effective methods of GSH evaluation. In our work, an effective GSH sensor based on a nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped carbon dot (NPCD)-MnO₂ nanocoral composite was fabricated. In addition to utilizing the strong fluorescence of the NPCDs, we utilized the reductant ability of the NPCDs themselves to form MnO₂ and then the NPCD-MnO₂ nanocoral composite from MnO₄^-. The characteristics of the nanocoral composite were analyzed using various electron microscopy techniques and spectroscopic techniques. The overlap between the absorption spectrum of MnO₂ and the fluorescence emission spectrum of the NPCDs led to effective fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) in the nanocoral composite, causing a decrease in the fluorescent intensity of the NPCDs. A linear recovery of the fluorescent intensity of the NPCDs was observed with the GSH level raising from 20 to 250 µM. Moreover, our GSH sensor showed high specificity and sensing potential in real samples with acceptable results.

Carbon-Based Nanomaterials 3.0

Carbon-based nanomaterials are currently attracting a lot of interest in many fields, ranging from medicine and biotechnology to electronics, energy storage, and sensing applications [...]

Construction of N-CDs and Calcein-Based Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensor for Rapid Detection of Arginine and Acetaminophen

In our study, a unique ratiometric fluorescent sensor for the rapid detection of arginine (Arg) and acetaminophen (AP) was constructed by the integration of blue fluorescent N-CDs and yellowish-green fluorescent calcein. The N-CD/calcein ratiometric fluorescent sensor exhibited dual emission at 435 and 519 nm under the same excitation wavelength of 370 nm, and caused potential Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from N-CDs to calcein. When detecting Arg, the blue fluorescence from the N-CDs of the N-CD/calcein sensor was quenched by the interaction of N-CDs and Arg. Then, the fluorescence of our sensor was recovered with the addition of AP, possibly due to the stronger association between AP and Arg, leading to the dissociation of Arg from N-CDs. Meanwhile, we observed an obvious fluorescence change from blue to green, then back to blue, when Arg and AP were added, exhibiting the “on–off–on” pattern. Next, we determined the detection limits of the N-CD/calcein sensor to Arg and AP, which were as low as 0.08 μM and 0.02 μM, respectively. Furthermore, we discovered that the fluorescence changes of the N-CD/calcein sensor were only responsible for Arg and AP. These results suggested its high sensitivity and specificity for Arg and AP detection. In addition, we have successfully achieved its application in bovine serum samples, indicating its practicality. Lastly, the logic gate was generated by the N-CD/calcein sensor and presented its good reversibility. Overall, we have demonstrated that our N-CD/calcein sensor is a powerful sensor to detect Arg and AP and that it has potential applications in biological analysis and imaging.