Microwave assisted green synthesis of Zwitterionic photolumenescent N-doped carbon dots: An efficient 'on-off' chemosensor for tracer Cr(+6) considering the inner filter effect and nano drug-delivery vector

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(+6)) has been considered as a terrible pollutant because of its toxicity and carcinogenic features. Herein, a tracer Cr(+6) sensing carbon nanodots has been prepared by microwave mediated thermal coupling of melamine and L-arginine. This present study determined the 'on-off' fluorescence behavior for determining the Cr(+6) obeying the inner filter effect (IFE). To prove the versatility, the size stability and photostability were also performed in phosphate buffer and fetal bovine serum media. Moreover, the nanodots surface ligands are quite susceptible to capture drug molecules which also have been tested by pH-tunable cumulative drug release method.