title: Ultrasensitive and Selective Sensing of Selenium Using Nitrogen-Rich Ligand Interfaced Carbon Quantum Dots.
abstract: This work reports a label-free, ultrasensitive, and selective optical chemosensory system for trace level detection of selenite (SeO32-), the most toxic form of selenium, in water. The probe, i.e., carbon quantum dots (CQDs), is designed from citric acid by means of pyrolysis and is interfaced with a newly synthesized nitrogen-rich ligand to create a selective sensor platform (functionalized CQDs, fCQDs) for selenite in a water matrix. Spectral (NMR, UV-vis, photoluminescence, Raman, and Fourier transform infrared analyses) and structural (high-resolution transmission electron microscopy) characteristics of the designed new probe were investigated. The developed sensor exhibits high sensitivity (limit of detection = 0.1 ppb), a wide detection range (0.1-1000 ppb range, relative standard deviation: 3.2%), and high selectivity even in the presence of commonly interfering ions reported to date, including Cl-, NO3-, NO2-, Br-, F-, As(V), As(III), Cu2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, Sr2+, Rb2+, Na+, Ca2+, Cs+, K+, Mg2+, Li+, NH4+, Co2+, etc. The observed selectivity is due to designed ligand characteristics in terms of strong Se-N chemistry. Ultrafast spectroscopic analysis of the fCQDs in the absence and presence of selenite was studied to understand the sensing mechanism. The sensor was successfully exemplified for real water samples and exhibits comparative performance to conventional ion channel chromatography as well as flame atomic absorption spectroscopy for selenite analysis. The promising results pave ways for realization of a field deployable device based upon a developed probe for selenite quantification in water.
authors.affiliation: Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research , New Delhi 110001, India.|CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation , Chandigarh 160030, India.
authors.forename: Pooja
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9784-2121
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Devi
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation , Chandigarh 160030, India.|Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Panjab University , Chandigarh 160014, India.
authors.forename: Anupma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thakur
authors.affiliation: Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Panjab University , Chandigarh 160014, India.
authors.forename: Shweta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chopra
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Panjab University , Chandigarh 160014, India.
authors.forename: Navneet
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0012-6151
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation , Chandigarh 160030, India.
authors.forename: Praveen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology , Ropar 140001, India.
authors.forename: Narinder
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8794-8157
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: National Physical Laboratory, CSIR , New Delhi 110012, India.
authors.forename: Mahesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: CPMU, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research , Bangalore 560064, India.
authors.forename: Sonnada Math
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Shivaprasad
authors.affiliation: Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research , New Delhi 110001, India.|CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation , Chandigarh 160030, India.
authors.forename: Manoj K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Nayak
keywords: UFS; carbon quantum dots; fluorescence; ligand; selenite; sensor; water