Dual emissive Cl, N-codoped carbon dots for highly selective and sensitive detection of amphotericin B in milk and wastewater

Amphotericin B (AmB) is an antifungal drug used in dairy farming. It is significant to monitor AmB in milk and environmental water as AmB is severely toxic. Herein, dual emissive Cl, N-codoped carbon dots (Cl, N-CDs) were facilely synthesized and explored as fluorescent probes for specific recognition of AmB among sixty-eight common substances. The Cl, N-CDs possess long emission wavelengths (650 and 482 nm), large stokes shift (240 nm), and high quantum yield (22.06 %). The fluorescence of Cl, N-CDs can be specifically quenched by AmB with a linear concentration range of 0.1–6 μM, a detection limit of 6.67 nM, and a response time within 1 min. Moreover, the Cl, N-CDs can be applied for the determination of AmB in milk and wastewater with good recoveries (92.00–110.00 %). This work provides a facile method for the preparation of Cl, N-codoped CDs with excellent fluorescence properties, and develops a new approach for fluorescence quantification of AmB in real samples.