Sensitive fluorescence sensor for isoliquiritigenin determination based on N-doped carbon dots

Fluorescence nanosensor based on carbon dots (CDs) is an up-and-coming platform for precise determination of isoliquiritigenin (ISO), ensuring human health and environmental safety. Herein, biomass nitrogen-doped carbon dots (BN-CDs) were assembled through a one-pot hydrothermal platform with lemon peel and melamine as precursors, which could be developed as distinguished sensors to detect ISO. The structure and optical properties of BN-CDs were explored in detail through some analytical methods. The BN-CDs indicated excellent UV resistance performance and biocompatibility. Moreover, after the addition of ISO, the blue fluorescence could be significantly quenched, and an eminent linear relationship was acquired between ln(F 0 /F) and ISO concentrations. The fitting equation was ln(F 0 /F) = 0.054[ISO] + 0.0085 (R 2  = 0.9978) with the concentration range of 0–50 μM. 0.056 μM of detection limit was obtained based on the 3b/k. This nanosensor was successfully carried out in real samples with satisfactory recoveries of 93.3–103.9 %. This research offered a theoretical foundation towards ISO determination via blue-emitting CDs and indicated huge application potential.