Highly selective and sensitive detection of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol by using newly developed blue–green photoluminescent carbon nanodots

Though many methods of detecting 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) mainly have been developed recent years, quantification of TNP in environmental matrixes still faces up to great challenges because all the nitroaromatic explosives reveal highly similar chemical structure. In the present work, we have developed a selective and sensitive method for detection of TNP by amorphous photoluminescent carbon nanodots (CNDs), which are prepared through a simple hydrothermal route using spermine and m-phenylenediamine (MPD) as precursors. The as-prepared CNDs are found to show blue–green photoluminescence, excitation-wavelength independence, and excellent chemical and optical stability. Owing to the strong characteristic absorption of TNP at 356   nm ( ε =1.048×10 4   cm −1   M −1 ), which has a good spectral overlap with the excitation band of CNDs, the fluorescence intensity of CNDs at 490   nm is linearly quenched with the adding concentration of TNP in the range of 0.1–100   μM. The developing assay based on inner filter effect (IFE) mechanism for the detection of TNP is selective and convenient, showing that the as-prepared CNDs have applicable prospect in the concept of simplicity and specificity in analytical chemistry .