Mercury (Hg2+) is remarked as toxic and hazardous element to global environment. Here, carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were synthesized by simple microwave assisted technique for Hg2+ detection in water samples via. fluorescence quenching and FT-IR spectroscopic approach. The morphology and chemical structure of synthesized CQDs was investigated by TEM, FT-IR, 13C-NMR, fluorescence and UV-vis spectroscopic technique. The resultant CQDs bears spherical morphology with an average size of 2–4 nm. The binding parameters, as Stern-Volmer quenching constant (Ksv) and binding constant for CQDs-Hg system was investigated by fluorescence method, whereas UV-vis techniques was employed for determination of thermodynamic parameters, as Gibb’s free energy (ΔG), enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) at three different temperature (295, 298 and 305 K). Moreover, selectivity assay for Hg2+ detection has been studied in presence of other metal ions by FT-IR as well as fluorescence spectroscopy. Analytical assay was also successfully applied for Hg2+ in spiked water samples collected from different areas of Chhattisgarh, with 98–99 recovery %. The detection of Hg2+ has been demonstrated in the range of 0 to 5.0μM with 3.25 nM detection limit. The present method is found to be simple, highly sensitive and selective for sensing of Hg2+ in aquatic environmental samples using CQDs as sensing probe.
TangM., RenG., ZhuB., YuL., LiuX., ChaiF., WuH., WangC., Facile synthesis of orange emissive carbon dots and their application for mercury ion detection and fast fingerprint development, Anal Methods11 (2019), 2502–2502.
2.
PatirK., GogoiS.K., Nitrogen-doped carbon dots as fluorescence on–off–on sensor for parallel detection of copper(II) and mercury(II) ions in solutions as well as in filter paper-based microfluidic device, Nanoscale Adv1 (2019), 592–601.
3.
QiaoY., ZhangY., ZhangC., ShiL., ZhangG., ShuangS., DongC., MaH., Water-soluble gold nanoclusters-based fluorescence probe for highly selective and sensitive detection of Hg2+, Sens, Actuators B: Chem224 (2016), 458–464.
4.
YarurF., MacairanJ., NaccacheR., Ratiometric detection of heavy metal ions using fluorescent carbon dots, Environ Sci Nano6 (2019), 1121–1130.
5.
MaoY., ZhaoC., GebS., LuoaT., ChenaJ., LiuJ., XiF., LiuJ., Gram-scale synthesis of nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots for sensitive detection of mercury ions and L-cysteine, RSC Adv9 (2019), 32977–32983.
6.
NinwongabB., SangkaewaP., HapaaP., RatnarathornaN., MengercR.F., HenryC.S., DungchaiW., Sensitive distance-based paper-based quantification of mercury ions using carbon nanodots and heating-based preconcentration, RSC Adv10 (2020), 9884–9893.
7.
BhattM., BhattS., VyasG., RavalI.H., HaldarS., PaulP., Water-dispersible fluorescent carbon dots as bioimaging agents and probes for Hg2+ and Cu2+ ions, ACS Appl Nano Mater3 (2020), 7096–7104.
8.
TadesseA., HagosM., RamadeviD., BasavaihK., BelachewN., Fluorescent-nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots derived from citrus lemon juice: green synthesis, mercury (II) ion sensing, and live cell imaging, ACS Omega5 (2020), 3889–3898.
9.
ZhangY., XiaoJ., Yuan ZhuZ.,
TianL.J.,
WangW.K.,
ZhuT.T.,
LiW.W. and
QingY.H., Fluorescence sensor based on biosynthetic CdSe/ CdS quantum dots and liposome carrier signal amplification for mercury detection, Anal Chem92 (2020), 3990–3997.
10.
GuS., HsiehC.T., TsaiY.Y., GandomiY.A., YeomS., KihmK.D., FuC.C., JuangR.S., Sulfur and nitrogen co-doped graphene quantum dots as a fluorescent quenching probe for highly sensitive detection toward mercury ions, ACS Appl. Nano Mater2 (2019), 790–798.
11.
LuH., XuS., LiuJ., One pot generation of blue and red carbon dots in one binary solvent system for dual channel detection of Cr3+ and Pb2+ based on ion imprinted fluorescence polymers, ACS Sens4 (2019), 1917–1924.
12.
BoobalanT., SethupathiM., SengottuvelaN., KumarP., BalajiP., GulyásB., PadmanabhanP., SelvanS.T., ArunA., Mushroom-derived carbon dots for toxic metal ion detection and as antibacterial and anticancer agents, ACS Appl Nano Mater3 (2020), 5910–5919.
13.
MajidS.M., GhasemiF., SalimiA., ShamT.K., transport properties of a molybdenum disulfide and carbon dot nanohybrid transistor and its applications as a Hg2+ aptasensor, ACS Appl Electron Mater2 (2020), 635–645.
14.
SubramaniyanS.B., VeerappaA., Water soluble cadmium selenide quantum dots for ultrasensitive detection of organic, inorganic and elemental mercury in biological fluids and live cells, RSC Adv9 (2019), 22274–22281.
15.
QiaoX.Y., LiZ.Y., LuY.B., XiaoM., YanZ.N., NiuY.Y., Three new supramolecular polymers as fluorescence probes for detecting Fe (III): Synthesis, structures, and properties, Main Group Chemistry17 (2018), 133–146.
16.
ZhuG.H., WangF.R., WangW.X., LiuX.J., Solvo-thermal synthesis of an ultra-stable 3D luminescent cadmium (II) hybrid and its application as a recyclable luminescent sensor for Fe (III), Main Group Chemistry19 (2020), 125–138.
17.
QiaoG.Y., WangF.R., ZhuY., NiuY.Y., A new polyoxometalate supermolecular compound as fluorescent probe for detecting of Fe (III): Synthesis, structures, and properties, Main Group Chemistry18 (2019), 291–304.
18.
TanQ., AnX., PanS., LiuH., HuX., Hydrogen peroxide assisted synthesis of sulfur quantum dots for the detection of chromium (VI) and ascorbic acid, Spectrochim Acta, Part A247 (2021), 119122.
19.
WuH., TongC., Nitrogen sulfur-co-doped carbon dots for highly selective and sensitive fluorescent detection of Hg2+ ions and sulfide in environmental water samples, J Agric Food Chem (2019), 2794–2800.
20.
LiL., YuB., YouT., Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon dots for highly selective and sensitive detection of Hg (II) ions, Biosens Bioelectron (2015), 263–269.
21.
HuaJ., YangJ., ZhuY., ZhaoC., YangY., Highly fluorescent carbon quantum dots as nanoprobes for sensitive and selective determination of mercury (II) in surface waters, Spectrochim, Acta, Part A187 (2017), 149–155.
22.
IqbalA., IqbalK., XuL., LiB., GongD., LiuX., GuoY., LiuW., QinW., GuoH., Heterogeneous synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbon dots prepared via anhydrous citric acid and melamine for selective and sensitive turn on-off-on detection of Hg (II), glutathione and its cellular imaging, Sens, Actuators B Chem255 (2018), 1130–1138.
23.
YangS., SunJ., LiX., ZhouW., WangZ., HeP., DingG., XieX., KangZ., JiangaM., Large-scale fabrication of heavy doped carbon quantum dots with tunable-photoluminescence and sensitive fluorescence detection, J Mater Chem A2 (2014), 8660–8671.
24.
YanF., ShiD., ZhengT., YunK., ZhouX., ChenL., Carbon dots as nanosensor for sensitive and selective detection of Hg2+ and l-cysteine by means of fluorescence “Off–On” switching, Sens Actuators B Chem224 (2016), 926–935.
25.
HeJ., ZhangH., ZouJ., LiuY., ZhuangJ., XiaoY., LeiB., Carbon dots-based fluorescent probe for “off-on” sensing of Hg(II) and I–,Biosens, Bioelectron79 (2016), 531–535.
26.
TabarakiR., SadeghinejadN., Microwave assisted synthesis of doped carbon dots and their application as green and simple turn off–on fluorescent sensor for mercury (II) and iodide in environmental samples, Ecotoxicol Environ Saf153 (2018), 101–106.
27.
LiL.S., JiaoX.Y., ZhangY., ChengC., HuangK., XuL., Green synthesis of fluorescent carbon dots from Hongcaitai for selective detection of hypochlorite and mercuric ions and cell imaging, Sens, Actuators B Chem263 (2018), 426–435.
28.
SharmaS., SinghN., NepovimovaE., KorabencyJ., KucaK., SatnamiM.L., GhoshK.K., Interaction of synthesized nitrogen enriched graphene quantum dots with novel anti-alzheimer’s drugs: spectroscopic insights, J Biomol Struct and Dynam38 (2019), 1822–1837.
29.
Reshma,
GuptaB.,
SharmaR. and
GhoshK.K.,
Facile and visual detection of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors by carbon quantum dots, New J Chem43 (2019), 9924–993.
30.
SharmaS., BanjareM.K.,
SinghN.,
KorabencyJ.,
FisarZ.,
KucaK. and GhoshK.K., Exploring spectroscopic insights into molecular recognition of potential anti-Alzheimer’s drugs within the hydrophobic pockets of β-cycloamylose, J Mol Liq311 (2020), 113269.
31.
WuX., SongY., YanX., ZhuC., MabY., DuD., LinY., Carbon quantum dots as fluorescence resonance energy transfer sensors for organophosphate pesticides determination, Biosens Bioelectron94 (2017), 292–297.
32.
MarukhyanS.S., GasparyanV.K., Fluorometric immunoassay for human serum albumin based on its inhibitory effect on the immune aggregation of quantum dots with silver nanoparticles, Spectrochim Acta Mol Biomol Spectrosc173 (2017), 34–38.
33.
DuF., SunL., ZenQ., TanW., ChengZ., RuanG., LiJ., A highly sensitive and selective “on-off-on” fluorescent sensor based on nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots for the detection of Hg2+ and paraquat, Sens, Actuators BChem288 (2019), 96–103.
34.
YarurF., MacairanJ.R., NaccacheR., Ratiometric detection of heavy metal ions using fluorescent carbon dots, Environ Sci Nano6 (2019), 1121–1130.
35.
PuF., HuangZ.Z., RenJ.S., QuX.G., DNA/ligand/ion-based ensemble for fluorescence turn on detection of cysteine and histidine with tunable dynamic range, Anal Chem82 (2010), 8211–8216.
36.
LiuY., TangX., DengM., CaoY., LiY., ZhengH., LiF., YanF., LanT., ShiL., Nitrogen doped graphene quantum dots as a fluorescent probe for mercury (II) ions, Microchim Acta186 (2019), 140–151.
37.
LiuT., LiN., DongJ.X., ZhangY., FanY.Z., LinS.M., LuoH.Q., LiN.B., A colorimetric and fluorometric dual-signal sensor for arginine detection by inhibiting the growth of gold nanoparticles/carbon quantum dots composite, Bioelectron87 (2017), 772–778.
38.
HouJ., ZhangF., YanX., WangL., YanJ., DingH., DingL., Sensitive detection of biothiols and histidine based on the recovered fluorescence of the carbon quantum dots–Hg (II) system, Analytica Chimica Acta859 (2015), 72–78.
39.
WuH., TongC., Dual-emission fluorescent probe for the simultaneous detection of nitrite and mercury(ii) in environmental water samples based on the Tb3+–modified carbon quantum dot/3-aminophenylboronic acid hybrid, Anal Chem92 (2020), 8859–8866.
40.
MiaoY., SunX., LvJ., YanG., Preparation of single-stranded DNA-templated room-temperature phosphorescent quantum dots and their application for mercury(ii) detection in environmental and biological fluids, Anal Chem91 (2019), 5036–5042.
41.
LinB., YanY., GuoM., CaoY., YuY., ZhangT., HuangY., WuD., Modification-free carbon dots as turn-on fluorescence probe for detection of organophosphorus pesticides, Food Chem245 (2018), 1176–1182.
42.
ZhaoF., QianJ., QuanF., WuC., ZhengY., ZhouL., Aconitic acid derived carbon dots as recyclable “on–off–on” fluorescent nanoprobes for sensitive detection of mercury (II) ions, cysteine and cellular imaging, RSC Adv7 (2017), 44178–44185.
43.
LiF., WangJ., LaiY., WuC., SunS., HeY., MaH., Ultrasensitive and selective detection of copper (II) and mercury (II) ions by dye-coded silver nanoparticle-based SERS probes, Biosens and Bioelectron39 (2013), 82–87.
