title: Microwave-assisted synthesis of carbon nanodots through an eggshell membrane and their fluorescent application.
abstract: Carbon nanodots (C-Dots) as a new form of carbonaceous nanomaterials have aroused much interest and intensive research due to their inspiring properties. Compared to traditional semiconductor quantum dots, these newly emergent nanodots possess a number of advantageous characteristics, among which low-toxicity is particularly fascinating. More and more research into C-Dots have focused on synthesis methods and biology-related applications. Microwave-assisted approaches have attracted attention because microwave treatment can provide intensive and efficient energy, and as a consequence shorten the reaction time. In this article, we designed a "green", rapid, eco-friendly and waste-reused approach to synthesize fluorescent and water-soluble C-Dots from eggshell membrane (ESM) ashes according to a microwave-assisted process. ESM selected as the carbon source was a common protein-rich waste in daily life and can be obtained easily and cheaply. The C-Dots from our method showed the maximal fluorescence emission peak at 450 nm and the fluorescence quantum yield was about 14%. We further designed a sensitive probe for glutathione based on the fluorescence turn off and on of the C-Dots-Cu(2+) system, which showed a linear range of 0.5-80 μmol L(-1) and detection limit of 0.48 μmol L(-1). In general, the C-Dots prepared briefly and inexpensively from ESM revealed excellent fluorescent property with promising potential for applications such as sample detection and biotechnology.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610064, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lichun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lv
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D004528:Egg Shell / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis*; D008872:Microwaves; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D002244:Carbon; D003300:Copper; D005978:Glutathione