A facile synthesis of label-free carbon dots with unique selectivity-tunable characteristics for ferric ion detection and cellular imaging applications
This work reports the synthesis of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon dots (NS-CDs) via a one-step facile microwave-assisted pyrolysis using citric acid and thiourea as the carbon precursor and dopant, respectively. The resultant NS-CDs were found to be uniform in size and can be dispersed in aqueo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2021
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/150224 |
| _version_ | 1826116498017484800 |
|---|---|
| author | Chan, Kok Ken Yang, Chengbin Chien, Yi-Hsin Panwar, Nishtha Yong, Ken-Tye |
| author2 | School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering |
| author_facet | School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Chan, Kok Ken Yang, Chengbin Chien, Yi-Hsin Panwar, Nishtha Yong, Ken-Tye |
| author_sort | Chan, Kok Ken |
| collection | NTU |
| description | This work reports the synthesis of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon dots (NS-CDs) via a one-step facile microwave-assisted pyrolysis using citric acid and thiourea as the carbon precursor and dopant, respectively. The resultant NS-CDs were found to be uniform in size and can be dispersed in aqueous solution. With an average size of 4.73 ± 0.65 nm, the NS-CDs exhibit excitation-dependent and pH-dependent photoluminescence properties in the visible range. Moreover, the NS-CDs also possessed a relatively high photoluminescence quantum yield of 28.9% and strong photostability in a high ionic strength environment. The NS-CDs were highly selective for Fe³⁺ detection in a water sample, achieving a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.16 μM. On top of this, the NS-CDs also demonstrated high detection sensitivity with a LOD of 0.17 μM and improved selectivity to Fe³⁺ in an acidic environment (pH 2). Specifically, the interference effect from Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, and Ag⁺ was lowered by 15%, 18%, and 64% respectively, highlighting an additional merit for the as-synthesized NS-CDs. This concept of pH tuning can be implemented to exploit the detection capability in both neutral and acidic environments to create specific analytical responses correlating to a specific targeted metal ion. Finally, we also demonstrated the versatility of the NS-CDs by employing them as a low-toxicity fluorescent label and for semi-quantitative Fe³⁺ sensing in cancer cells. |
| first_indexed | 2024-10-01T04:12:41Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | ntu-10356/150224 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-10-01T04:12:41Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/1502242021-06-09T08:38:47Z A facile synthesis of label-free carbon dots with unique selectivity-tunable characteristics for ferric ion detection and cellular imaging applications Chan, Kok Ken Yang, Chengbin Chien, Yi-Hsin Panwar, Nishtha Yong, Ken-Tye School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering NS-CDs Ferric Ion Detection This work reports the synthesis of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon dots (NS-CDs) via a one-step facile microwave-assisted pyrolysis using citric acid and thiourea as the carbon precursor and dopant, respectively. The resultant NS-CDs were found to be uniform in size and can be dispersed in aqueous solution. With an average size of 4.73 ± 0.65 nm, the NS-CDs exhibit excitation-dependent and pH-dependent photoluminescence properties in the visible range. Moreover, the NS-CDs also possessed a relatively high photoluminescence quantum yield of 28.9% and strong photostability in a high ionic strength environment. The NS-CDs were highly selective for Fe³⁺ detection in a water sample, achieving a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.16 μM. On top of this, the NS-CDs also demonstrated high detection sensitivity with a LOD of 0.17 μM and improved selectivity to Fe³⁺ in an acidic environment (pH 2). Specifically, the interference effect from Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, and Ag⁺ was lowered by 15%, 18%, and 64% respectively, highlighting an additional merit for the as-synthesized NS-CDs. This concept of pH tuning can be implemented to exploit the detection capability in both neutral and acidic environments to create specific analytical responses correlating to a specific targeted metal ion. Finally, we also demonstrated the versatility of the NS-CDs by employing them as a low-toxicity fluorescent label and for semi-quantitative Fe³⁺ sensing in cancer cells. 2021-06-09T08:38:47Z 2021-06-09T08:38:47Z 2019 Journal Article Chan, K. K., Yang, C., Chien, Y., Panwar, N. & Yong, K. (2019). A facile synthesis of label-free carbon dots with unique selectivity-tunable characteristics for ferric ion detection and cellular imaging applications. New Journal of Chemistry, 43(12), 4734-4744. https://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C8NJ06306K 1144-0546 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/150224 10.1039/C8NJ06306K 12 43 4734 4744 en New Journal of Chemistry © 2019 The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. All rights reserved. |
| spellingShingle | Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering NS-CDs Ferric Ion Detection Chan, Kok Ken Yang, Chengbin Chien, Yi-Hsin Panwar, Nishtha Yong, Ken-Tye A facile synthesis of label-free carbon dots with unique selectivity-tunable characteristics for ferric ion detection and cellular imaging applications |
| title | A facile synthesis of label-free carbon dots with unique selectivity-tunable characteristics for ferric ion detection and cellular imaging applications |
| title_full | A facile synthesis of label-free carbon dots with unique selectivity-tunable characteristics for ferric ion detection and cellular imaging applications |
| title_fullStr | A facile synthesis of label-free carbon dots with unique selectivity-tunable characteristics for ferric ion detection and cellular imaging applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | A facile synthesis of label-free carbon dots with unique selectivity-tunable characteristics for ferric ion detection and cellular imaging applications |
| title_short | A facile synthesis of label-free carbon dots with unique selectivity-tunable characteristics for ferric ion detection and cellular imaging applications |
| title_sort | facile synthesis of label free carbon dots with unique selectivity tunable characteristics for ferric ion detection and cellular imaging applications |
| topic | Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering NS-CDs Ferric Ion Detection |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/150224 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chankokken afacilesynthesisoflabelfreecarbondotswithuniqueselectivitytunablecharacteristicsforferriciondetectionandcellularimagingapplications AT yangchengbin afacilesynthesisoflabelfreecarbondotswithuniqueselectivitytunablecharacteristicsforferriciondetectionandcellularimagingapplications AT chienyihsin afacilesynthesisoflabelfreecarbondotswithuniqueselectivitytunablecharacteristicsforferriciondetectionandcellularimagingapplications AT panwarnishtha afacilesynthesisoflabelfreecarbondotswithuniqueselectivitytunablecharacteristicsforferriciondetectionandcellularimagingapplications AT yongkentye afacilesynthesisoflabelfreecarbondotswithuniqueselectivitytunablecharacteristicsforferriciondetectionandcellularimagingapplications AT chankokken facilesynthesisoflabelfreecarbondotswithuniqueselectivitytunablecharacteristicsforferriciondetectionandcellularimagingapplications AT yangchengbin facilesynthesisoflabelfreecarbondotswithuniqueselectivitytunablecharacteristicsforferriciondetectionandcellularimagingapplications AT chienyihsin facilesynthesisoflabelfreecarbondotswithuniqueselectivitytunablecharacteristicsforferriciondetectionandcellularimagingapplications AT panwarnishtha facilesynthesisoflabelfreecarbondotswithuniqueselectivitytunablecharacteristicsforferriciondetectionandcellularimagingapplications AT yongkentye facilesynthesisoflabelfreecarbondotswithuniqueselectivitytunablecharacteristicsforferriciondetectionandcellularimagingapplications |