Fluorescent N-doped Carbon Quantum Dots: A Selective Detection of Fe3+ and Understanding Its Mechanism

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) based sensor has been built many times. Optical properties, such as optical ab-sorption, have been neglected for too long. Here, we have reported the luminescence of blue-emitting nitrogen -doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) with average particle size 3-6 nm, synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method, which give intense blue emission under 340 nm excitation wavelengths. As the fluorescence of N-CQDs can be efficiently quenched by Fe3+, the N-CQDs can be constructed as a sensor system for Fe3+ with good sensitivity and selectivity. Effective detection and quantification of Fe3+ at as little as 0.07 mu M and 0.22 mu M is achieved.