Fluorescent Detection of Nitrite Ions Using Carbon Dots
Summary
Nitrite ions (NO₂⁻) are ubiquitous in environmental, industrial and biological systems, where their monitoring is critical for public health and ecological safety. Fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) have emerged as versatile nanoscale probes, combining high water solubility, low toxicity and tunable surface chemistry with strong photoluminescence. Detection is typically based on quenching of CD emission upon interaction with nitrite, driven by mechanisms such as charge transfer, formation of N-nitroso compounds or surface complexation. Synthetic approaches—from one-pot hydrothermal reactions to green precursors—allow fine control of size, surface functional groups and heteroatom doping, thereby enhancing both sensitivity and selectivity. CDs offer rapid response, submicromolar limits of detection and straightforward incorporation into portable devices or imaging platforms. Their adaptability for real-sample analysis, including water, foodstuffs and cellular environments, underscores the global significance of this methodology in environmental monitoring, food safety and biomedical research.
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Fluorescent Detection of Nitrite Ions Using Carbon Dots publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in fluorescent detection of nitrite ions using carbon dots across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Carbon dots (CDs): Nanoscale carbonaceous materials exhibiting strong fluorescence due to quantum confinement and surface emissive states.
Fluorescence quenching: Reduction in emission intensity of a fluorophore caused by interactions with a quenching agent via static or dynamic processes.
Limit of detection (LOD): The minimum analyte concentration that can be reliably distinguished from background noise.
Stern–Volmer equation: A linear model relating fluorescence quenching efficiency to quencher concentration.
Quantum yield: The efficiency of photon emission, defined as the ratio of emitted to absorbed photons in a luminescent material.
References
- Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots as Fluorescent Probes for Sensitive and Selective Detection of Nitrite. Molecules (2017).
- Detection of nitrite based on fluorescent carbon dots by the hydrothermal method with folic acid. Royal Society Open Science (2018).
- Starch-Based Carbon Dots for Nitrite and Sulfite Detection. Frontiers in Chemistry (2021).
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