Potassium ion recognition by 15-crown-5 functionalized CdSe/ZnS quantum dots in H2O

Based on 15-crown-5 functionalized CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs), we report a novel fluorogenic sensor to probe K+ ions in H2O; recognition of K+ can be achieved via the Forster type of energy transfer between two different color QDs, so that [K+] of the order of 10(-6) M can be promptly detected.