Facile synthesis of fluorescent carbon dots from shrimp shells and using the carbon dots to detect chromium(VI)

It is important to develop methods to sensitively and selectively determine chromium(VI) because chromium(VI) plays crucial roles in pathological and physiological processes. We developed an easy-to-perform, low-cost, and efficient method for synthesizing carbon dots from shrimp shells by calcining the shells without using any chemical reagents. The as-prepared carbon dots exhibited excitation-dependent fluorescence, with excitation and emission maxima at 350 and 400 nm, respectively. The Carbon dots were found to be excellent fluorescent probes for detecting chromium(VI) using the fluorescence quenching effect. The Carbon dots allowed chromium(VI) to be determined with a high degree of sensitivity. The chromium(VI) detection limit was 0.1 mu M, and the relationship between the chromium(VI) concentration and the response was linear up to a chromium(VI) concentration of 70 mu M. The method for synthesizing carbon dots is novel and the carbon dots produced offer promise for monitoring chromium(VI) in environmental matrices.