Dual-mode turn-on ratiometric fluorescence sensor based on carbon dots and CuInS2/ZnS quantum dots for detection of chlorotetracycline

A new ratiometric fluorescence sensor is prepared for selective detection of chlorotetracycline (CTC) through dual-mode fluorescence method. The sensor is composed of carbon dots (CDs) with blue emission and carboxyl-modified CuInS 2 /ZnS quantum dots (QDs) with dark-red emission. Usually QDs are used as fluorescent probes or signal sources, but it is interesting in this strategy that CuInS 2 /ZnS QDs innovatively work as quenching agent to reduce the fluorescence of CDs, mainly due to the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). After the addition of CTC, the interaction between CDs and CuInS 2 /ZnS QDs is restrained, resulting in the fluorescence recovery of CDs, whilst   the QDs’ fluorescence remains unaffected. In this work, CTC is detected in the range of 0–50 μM by conventional fluorescence and synchronous fluorescence methods under an excitation wavelength of 360 nm or Δλ = 90 nm, and the detection limits of the two methods are 0.46 μM and 0.36 μM, respectively. The designed sensor displays good selectivity compared with other tetracycline drugs with similar structure to CTC, different ions and various natural - amino acids. And the sensor can also be applied to determine CTC in tap water and milk.