Sensitive determination of 4-nitrophenol based on its enhancement of a peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence system containing graphene oxide quantum dots and fluorescein

Graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQD) are capable of enhancing the green chemiluminescence (CL) of the system composed of bis (2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate, hydrogen peroxide and fluorescein (TCPO/H 2 O 2 /fluorescein). It was found that 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) causes a further enhancement of the system, and this was exploited to develop a CL detection scheme for 4-NP. The optimum reaction concentrations were established, and under these conditions the calibration plot is linear in the 1.0 to 300 pmol L −1 concentration range, with a 0.3 pmol L −1 detection limit (at 3σ).We assume that CL enhancement is due to energy transfer from GOQD to fluorescein which is promoted by the interaction of 4-NP with the GOQD. The method was applied to the determination of 4-NP in spiked tap water and river water and gave recoveries between 93.4 and 107.9 %, with relative standard deviations of <4.0 %. Graphical Abstract Graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQD) are good enhancer of Bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate (TCPO) and hydrogen peroxide chemiluminescence (CL) system. The CL emission of fluorescein can be further enhanced by GOQD and this provides an extremely sensitive detection platform for 4-nitrophenol (4-NP).