One step synthesis of fluorescent carbon dots from <i>neera</i> for the detection of silver ions
Pramila Murugesan, J.A. Moses, C. Anandharamakrishnan
Abstract
In this study, fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized using hydrothermal treatment of coconut sap (neera). The as-synthesized material exhibited excellent fluorescence properties with strong emission at 479 nm once excited over 370 nm. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed that the CDs were poor crystalline in nature. Fourier Transform Infrared spectra (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectra proved the existence of carbon and oxygen on the surface of the CDs. Microscopic analyses confirmed that the spherical shape of CDs was aggregated into carbon clusters. Also, the synthesized CDs were used to detect silver ion in aqueous solutions and showed a detection limit of 0.26 µM. The synthesized CDs can be used as an eco-friendly material in fluorescent probes for metal ion detection.