In-situ fluorescence sensor for tert-butylhydroquinone detection based on MnO2-catalyzed and cysteine-mediated formation of carbon dots

Under the catalysis of MnO 2 , TBHQ can react with Cys to generate fluorescent CDs. • A fluorescence turn-on sensor for detection of TBHQ is proposed based on in-situ formation of fluorescent CDs. • This sensor is capable of quantitatively measuring the concentration of TBHQ in edible oils. Excessive intake of the food additive tert -butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) causes potential hazards to the human body. Designing an easy-to-fabricate and efficient TBHQ sensor is of great research significance. We found that in the presence of MnO 2 , TBHQ can react with cysteine (Cys) to generate fluorescent carbon dots (CDs). Inspired by this simple fluorogenic reaction, a turn-on sensor for TBHQ detection is proposed based on in-situ formation of fluorescent CDs. The sensor offers a linear range of 1–200 μM and a detection limit as low as 0.06 μM. Due to its simple reaction precursors and unambiguous reaction mechanism, this sensor demonstrates good practicability for TBHQ measurement in edible oils. This fluorescence turn-on in-situ sensor, which does not require pre-synthesized materials, offers considerable potential for on-site detection of TBHQ. Download: Download high-res image (122KB) Download: Download full-size image