High quality carbon dots (C-dots) with down- and up-conversion fluorescence have been synthesized through low-temperature carbonization using sweet pepper as the carbon source. The C-dots with a quantum yield (QY) of 19.3% exhibit superior photophysical properties, for example, narrow and symmetric emission spectra, large stock shifts, resistance to photobleaching, and excitation-dependent fluorescence behavior. The excellent C-dots serve as useful fluorescent probes for hypochlorite (ClO−) detection by both down- and up-conversion fluorescence. Two consecutive linear ranges allow a wide determination of ClO− concentrations with a low detection limit of 0.05 μmol L−1 and 0.06 μmol L−1 (S/N = 3) for down- and up-conversion fluorescence measurements, respectively. The proposed detection method is advantageous because it is simple, sensitive, dual-signalling model and low-cost and has potential extensive applications in environmental and biological assays.
Yehong Han,Zhiqiang Wang,Jun Jia,Ligai Bai,Haiyan Liu,Shigang Shen,Hongyuan Yan
A method based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed to determine the content of 4-chlorophenoxy acetic acid (PCPA), naphthylacetic acid (NAA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in green bell peppers. A molecularly imprinted 3-aminophenol-glyoxal-urea resin (MIAGUR) was first synthesized as a specific SPE adsorbent, which exhibited special selectivity and multiple adsorption interactions including hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions. The quantities of PCPA, NAA and 2,4-D in green bell peppers from 20 samples scattered throughout Baoding city (Hebei province, China) were determined using the proposed method. The results suggested that the use of PCPA, NAA and 2,4-D in green bell peppers from Baoding’s markets is almost in fair. Moreover, MIAGUR-SPE-HPLC is suitable for the specific simultaneous monitoring of PCPA, NAA, and 2,4-D in green bell peppers and has potential applications in determination of PCPA, NAA, and 2,4-D of other plant products.