Synthesis of blue fluorescent carbon dots and their application in detecting mercury and iodine based on off-on mode

In this study, a type of blue-emission fluorescent carbon dot was synthesized using malic acid, urea, and water. This material demonstrates strong stability to heat, ionic strength, and time. It was found that mercury ions can quench the blue fluorescence of the material, and using iodine ions, the fluorescence can be recovered. Hence, we designed an off-on mode to detect mercury and iodine ions using the carbon dots. The results showed that this material exhibits good selectivity and recovery rate. Concurrently, imaging experiments showed that this material demonstrates low cytotoxicity and can be used in cell fluorescence imaging. The study concludes that this material has wider application prospects in the future.

Automated summary

A blue-emission fluorescent carbon dot was synthesized in this study, demonstrating strong stability to heat, ionic strength, and time. The material can detect mercury and iodine ions with good selectivity and recovery rate, while also showing low cytotoxicity in cell imaging experiments. The study concludes that this material has promising application prospects in the future.