Fluorine and nitrogen co-doped carbon dots (F, N-CDs) for enhanced luminol chemiluminescence and sensitive detection of levetiracetam

Biomass-derived fluorine and nitrogen co-doped carbon dots (F, N-CDs) were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method using Rhododendron simsii flowers as the precursor. The prepared F, N-CDs exhibited favorable optical properties, good water solubility, and a pronounced enhancement effect on the chemiluminescence (CL) of the Luminol-K 2 S 2 O 8 -NaOH system. The optical characteristics were systematically investigated by UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and fluorescence lifetime analysis. The possible CL enhancement mechanism was further investigated through reactive oxygen species scavenging experiments and singlet oxygen probe experiments. On this basis, an enhanced flow-injection chemiluminescence (FI-CL) method was developed for the determination of levetiracetam (LEV). Under the optimized conditions, the relative CL intensity exhibited a satisfactory linear relationship with LEV concentration over the range of 0.10–10.00 mM, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.02 × 10 −3  mM and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 6.71 × 10 −3  mM. The proposed method was successfully applied to the commercial LEV pharmaceutical formulations, giving recoveries of 94.8–103.1% and relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 4.68%. These results demonstrate the potential of biomass-derived carbon dots for spectroscopic and characterization and chemiluminescence-based analytical applications.