Solvent-free synthesis of sulfur-and nitrogen-co-doped fluorescent carbon nanoparticles from glutathione for highly selective and sensitive detection of mercury(II) ions

In this report, a simple, low-cost, green, and solvent-free method was developed to prepare sulfur-and nitrogen-co-doped carbon nanoparticles (SNCNs) by one-pot solid-phase thermal treatment of glutathione, with the nitrogen and sulfur contents of 16.1% and 2.0%, respectively. SNCNs show bright blue photoluminescence with a high quantum yield of 39.9%, which is significantly quenched by trace Hg2+ via the Hg2+-thiol interactions and extended for label-free fluorescent detection of Hg2+ with high selectivity and sensitivity, even with high concentrations of interference (i.e., other metal ions). The fluorescence intensity increases linearly with Hg2+ from 1.0 nM to 50.0 mu M, with the detection limit of 0.05 nM (S/N= 3). (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.