Controlled synthesis of fluorescent carbon materials with the assistance of capillary electrophoresis

Carbon nanodots (CNDs) have been widely applied in variety of fields, while some evidences indicate their components may be complicated. In this work, capillary electrophoresis (CE) was used to evaluate the effect of synthetic conditions of fluorescent CNDs prepared through the hydrothermal method using citric acid (CA) and Triaminoguanidinium chloride (TGCl) as the starting materials. The results indicated that the fluorescent components of the products were affected by the ratio of the starting materials, the reaction temperature and reaction time. Under selected conditions, a ratio of TGCl to CA of 1:6, the reaction at 180 degrees C for 3 h, the product contains more than 4 fluorescent components with similar optical properties. CNDs were used for the determination of Cr (VI) in environmental samples with recoveries ranging in 95.3-107%, and the mechanism was also confirmed.

Automated summary

The study evaluated the effect of synthetic conditions on fluorescent carbon nanodots prepared using citric acid and Triaminoguanidinium chloride through capillary electrophoresis. It was found that the fluorescent components of the products were influenced by the ratio of starting materials, reaction temperature, and reaction time. The synthesized products under specific conditions were able to be used for the determination of Cr (VI) in environmental samples.