N,S-doped carbon quantum dots as a fluorescent probe for palladium(II) ions via Förster resonance energy transfer

The wide use of palladium in chemical industry may lead to the serious environmental issue. In this work, we reported a green light emitted nitrogen-sulfur-doped carbon quantum dots (N,S-GCDs) as a fluorescent probe for the selective and sensitive detection of palladium ions (Pd2+) in photoluminescence quenching via Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Under optimal conditions, the as-prepared N,S-GCDs exhibited a good linear relationship between fluorescence response and Pd2+ concentration ranging from 0 to 150 µM with a detection limit of 0.12 µM. Furthermore, the N,S-GCDs probe has also been used to detect Pd2+ in real water samples.