Novel carbon dots for zinc sensing from Campomanesia phaea

Abstract

Abstract Highly fluorescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized from cambuci juice (Campomanesia phaea (O. Berg) Landrum) and successfully used for zinc (Zn2+) sensing based on fluorescence quenching. The CDs were synthesized at different pH, using NaOH and NH4OH as pH adjusters. The CDs synthesized were characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Zeta potential, UV–Vis, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The CDs synthesized from juice with pH 7 and adjusted by NH4OH presented a high sensitivity to Zn2+ and a higher quantum yield (21.26%). The minimum limit of detection (LOD) was 5.4 µм. The linear range (LR) is between 25 and 125 µм. The sensor exhibits great potential for applications as a zinc detector for biological and environmental systems.