Facile fabrication of nitrogen–ferric-doped carbon dots for highly sensitive and selective detection of dopamine and 4-nitrophenol

Nowadays, dopamine (DA) receives huge attention because it plays an importance role in chemical transmitter for peripheral and central nervous systems. 4-Nitrophenol (4-NP) is one of the common hazardous waste, because it can cause various serious diseases to humans and environment. Herein, a simple and highly efficient technique for the detection DA and 4-NP using nitrogen–ferric-doped carbon dots (N/Fe-CDs) was reported in this article. The N/Fe-CDs were prepared using microwave digestion technique with a high quantum yield of 49.52%. The N/Fe-CDs exhibited excellence selectivity toward the detection of DA and 4-NP. Based on the quenched fluorescence between N/Fe-CDs and DA and 4-NP to detect DA and 4-NP, the linear range of DA was 0.5 - 300 µM with a detection limit of 0.07 µM (S/N =3), while the linear range of 4-NP was 0.1 - 250 µM with a detection limit of 0.02μM. Additionally, the anticipated sensing technique has been successfully applied for real sample analysis such as human serum and urine samples for DA, lake water and tap water for 4-NP with satisfactory results. So, the proposed fluorescent probe is more precise detection for biological and environmental applications.