Carboxylatopillarene-Modified Reduced Graphene Oxides with High Water Dispersibility for Fluorescent Dye Sensing

Carboxylated pillar[5]arene (CP5) macrocycles were modified onto the surface of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) via covalent bonds to form new pillarene-functionalized RGO nanosheets, i.e. , RGO-CP5. The obtained RGO-CP5 nanosheets capable of molecular recognition exhibited much better water-dispersibility and enhanced fluorescence-quenching property as compared with native RGO. This new sensing platform holds great potentials in the sensing and detection of analytes, such as organic dye molecules and pesticides, in aqueous solutions.