Microplasma-assisted rapid synthesis of luminescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots and their application in pH sensing and uranium detection

Abstract

Developing a simple synthesis method and expanding the application of carbon dots have attracted increasing attention. In this report, we have developed a facile method to synthesize fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) with the assistance of atmospheric-pressure microplasma. The CDs could be produced within a few minutes with no need of high temperature, external energy input, and multistep procedures. The as-prepared CDs had a relatively uniform size of approximately 2.3 nm. The FTIR spectrum and the XPS analysis showed that carbonyl groups and amide groups exist on the surface of CDs. The CDs showed bright blue luminescence and high stability in high salt concentration and low pH without further modification. A pH-dependent PL behavior was observed and could be applied for pH sensing in the range of 3–14. Moreover, the CDs could be utilized as a reagent capable of detecting U(VI) with a low detection limit and high selectivity.