article · Methods and Applications in Fluorescence
Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon quantum dots have been developed via a rapid, four-minute microwave-assisted synthesis using sucrose, urea, and thiourea. Combining both dopants produces carbon dots with a high fluorescence quantum yield of 53.5 percent, uniform particle distribution, and prolonged stability. The material functions as a turn-off fluorescent sensor for detecting the antifungal agent natamycin, relying on static quenching and inner filter effects. The assay enables quantitative measurement of natamycin across a concentration range of 0.5 to 10.0 micrograms per millilitre, with a limit of detection of 0.10 micrograms per millilitre. The probe shows strong selectivity and minimal interference when applied to eye drops, aqueous humour, bread, and environmental water samples. Both the production process and the testing protocol align with established green chemistry principles.
Natamycin is widely used in medical therapies and food preservation, meaning accurate monitoring is important for health and safety. This technique replaces complex, toxic nanomaterial production with a four-minute microwave method using inexpensive chemicals. It offers an accessible, environmentally friendly analytical route for screening pharmaceuticals, food products, and water supplies without requiring hazardous reagents.
The sensor could enable testing solutions for pharmaceutical manufacturers, food safety regulators, and environmental testing facilities needing to monitor natamycin. Using cheap, widely available raw materials and standard microwave synthesis lowers production barriers. The technology appears to be applied and tested in laboratory conditions, having demonstrated accuracy across food, biological fluids, and water samples, but the abstract does not indicate that it has reached commercial packaging or field device development.
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Abstract Green, one-pot, quick, and easily synthesized nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon quantum dots (N,S-CDs) were obtained from cheap and readily available chemicals (sucrose, urea, and thiourea) using a microwave-assisted approach in about 4 min and utilized as a turn-off fluorescent sensor for estimation of natamycin (NAT). First, the effect of N and S doping on the microwave-synthesized CDs’ quantum yield was carefully studied. CDs derived from sucrose alone failed to produce a high quantum yield; then, to increase the quantum yield, doping with heteroatoms was carried out using either urea or thiourea. A slight increase in quantum yield was observed upon using thiourea with sucrose, while an obvious enhancement of quantum yield was obtained when urea was used instead of thiourea. Surprisingly, using a combination of urea and thiourea together results in N,S-CDs with the highest quantum yield (53.5%), uniform and small particle size distribution, and extended stability. The fluorescent signal of N,S-CDs was quenched upon addition of NAT due to inner filter effect and static quenching in a manner that allowed for quantitative determination of NAT over a range of 0.5–10.0 μ g ml −1 (LOD = 0.10 μ g ml −1 ). The N,S-CDs were applicable for determination of NAT in aqueous humor, eye drops, different environmental water samples, and bread with excellent performance. The selectivity study indicated excellent selectivity of the prepared N,S-CDs toward NAT with little interference from possibly interfering substances. In-silico toxicological evaluation of NAT was conducted to estimate its long-term toxicity and drug-drug interactions. Finally, the preparation of N,S-CDs, and analytical procedure compliance with the green chemistry principles were confirmed by two greenness assessment tools.
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DOI: 10.1088/2050-6120/acf119
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