Fluorescent carbon nanoparticles: A low-temperature trypsin-assisted preparation and Fe3+ sensing

In recent years, extensive researches are focused on the fluorescent carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) due to their excellent photochemical, biocompatible and water-soluble properties. However, these synthesis methods are generally suffered from tedious processes. In this paper, fluorescent carbon nanoparticles are synthesized by a facile, one-pot, low-temperature method with trypsin and dopamine as precursors. The synthesis process avoids any heating operation and organic solvent, which provides a green and effective preparation route. The obtained CNPs exhibit excellent water-solubility, salt-tolerance and photostability. Based on the synergistic action of the inner filter effect and static quenching mechanism, the CNPs are exploited as a turn-off fluorescence sensor for sensitive and selective detection of Fe3+ ions. The probe shows a wide linear range from 0.1 to 500 mu M, with a limit of detection of 30 nM. Furthermore, the as-fabricated fluorescent sensing system is successfully applied to the analysis of Fe3+ in biological samples such as human urine and serum samples with satisfactory recoveries (92.8 -113.3%). (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.