A multifunctional sensor for selective and sensitive detection of vitamin B12 and tartrazine by Förster resonance energy transfer

We used thiamine nitrate (TN) as single material to fabricate nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon quantum dots (N,S-CQDs) with a quantum yield of 10.4% through one-pot hydrothermal method , and its properties were characterized by TEM, XPS, FTIR, fluorescence (FL) and UV–vis spectrophotometer, respectively. The fluorescence of N,S-CQDs was effectively quenched in the presence of vitamin B12 (VB12)/tartrazine due to Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Moreover, the rate ( K T ) and efficiency ( E %) of energy transfer from N,S-CQDs (as a donor) to VB12/tartrazine (as an acceptor) enhanced with increasing the concentrations of acceptor, and the K T and E % were also varied with the change of excitation wavelengths (from 338 to 408 nm). Based on this principle, a multifunctional fluorescence probe was designed for selective and sensitive detection of VB12/tartrazine with a detection limit (3σ/slope) of 15.6/18.0 nmol/L. Meanwhile, the proposed method was successfully employed to detect VB12/tartrazine in milk and several beverages with a recovery range of 97.5–104.2%/91.0–110.6%.