Synthesis of Fluorescent Tremella-like Carbon Nanosheets and Their Application for Sensing of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol

Fluorescent tremella-like carbon nanosheets (TCNs) were hydrothermally synthesized using citric acid and adenosine as the starting materials. The resulting product had high quantum yield, water-solubility, and photostability. The addition of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) induces remarkable fluorescence quenching, and this phenomenon was used to construct a TNP fluorescence sensor. The fluorescence quenching of TCNs by TNP was shown to be likely due to the inner filter effect. The developed sensor has a wide linear range from 0.05 to 50.0 μM with a detection limit of 5 nM. The TCN-based sensor was used for the determination of TNP in lake water with satisfactory recoveries from 98% to 103%.