title: Green Synthesis of Fluorescent Carbon Dots for Selective Detection of Tartrazine in Food Samples.
abstract: A simple, economical, and green method for the preparation of water-soluble, high-fluorescent carbon quantum dots (C-dots) has been developed via hydrothermal process using aloe as a carbon source. The synthesized C-dots were characterized by atomic force microscope (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fluorescence spectrophotometer, UV-vis absorption spectra as well as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results reveal that the as-prepared C-dots were spherical shape with an average diameter of 5 nm and emit bright yellow photoluminescence (PL) with a quantum yield of approximately 10.37%. The surface of the C-dots was rich in hydroxyl groups and presented various merits including high fluorescent quantum yield, excellent photostability, low toxicity and satisfactory solubility. Additionally, we found that one of the widely used synthetic food colorants, tartrazine, could result in a strong fluorescence quenching of the C-dots through a static quenching process. The decrease of fluorescence intensity made it possible to determine tartrazine in the linear range extending from 0.25 to 32.50 μM, This observation was further successfully applied for the determination of tartrazine in food samples collected from local markets, suggesting its great potential toward food routine analysis. Results from our study may shed light on the production of fluorescent and biocompatible nanocarbons due to our simple and environmental benign strategy to synthesize C-dots in which aloe was used as a carbon source.
authors.affiliation: †College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637000, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: †College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637000, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiupei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: †College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637000, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Gu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: †College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637000, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: §Exposure and Biomonitoring Division, Health Canada, 50 Colombine Driveway, Ottawa K1A 0K9, Canada.
authors.forename: Xiangjun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D000504:Aloe / Q000737:chemistry*; D001939:Bread / Q000032:analysis; D002182:Candy / Q000032:analysis; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D005453:Fluorescence; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005505:Food Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D055772:Green Chemistry Technology; D006722:Honey / Q000032:analysis; D010316:Particle Size; D045663:Quantum Dots / Q000737:chemistry*; D013645:Tartrazine / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005505:Food Coloring Agents; D002244:Carbon; D013645:Tartrazine
keywords: aloe; carbon quantum dots; fluorescence quench; tartrazine