Synthesis and properties of carbon quantum dots as an antimicrobial agent and detection of ciprofloxacin
Fan Shen, Zhaoyang Lu, Kangli Yan, Kang Luo, Shuchen Pei, Xiang Pu
Abstract
This work reports a novel one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of N-CQDs using Solanum nigrum L. as sustainable carbon source and triethylamine as nitrogen provider. The resulting N-CQDs were systematically characterized with TEM, SEM, FT-IR, XPS, XRD, and UV-Visible. Significantly, the N-CQDs exhibited substantial antimicrobial efficacy against both S. aureus and E. coli bacterial strains, with minimum inhibitory concentration values of 1.2 mg/mL and 1.1 mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the N-CQDs demonstrated pronounced fluorescence enhancement upon interaction with ciprofloxacin, displaying exceptional selectivity and sensitivity, with a calculated LOD of 316 nM. The feasibility of employing N-CQDs as fluorescent probes for ciprofloxacin detection was systematically validated through practical application in honey analysis. This study introduces a novel approach for the fabrication of N-CQDs derived from natural botanical sources, underscoring their potential dual functionality as fluorescent sensors and antimicrobial materials.