Full text

Turn on search term navigation

© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Here we report the rational development of a carbon dot (CDs)-based fluorescent pH nanosensor by employing an active surface preservation strategy. More specifically, citric acid, urea and fluorescein were subjected to a one-pot hydrothermal treatment, which preserved fluorescein-like structures on the surface of the CDs. The obtained CDs showed pH-sensitive green emission, which can be used to determine pH variations from 3.7 to 12.1 by fluorescence enhancement. Moreover, the obtained nanoparticles showed excellent selectivity toward pH, fluorescence reversibility in different pH values, photostability, while being compatible with human cell lines (even at high concentrations). Furthermore, their performance as pH sensors was comparable with reference pH determination procedures. Thus, an active surface preservation strategy was successfully employed to develop fluorescence pH nanosensors in a rational manner and without post-synthesis functionalization strategies, which show potential for future use in pH determination.

Details

Title
An Active Surface Preservation Strategy for the Rational Development of Carbon Dots as pH-Responsive Fluorescent Nanosensors
Author
Afonso, Ana Carolina P 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Correia, Ana Salomé 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Duarte, Diana 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ana T S C Brandão 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Maria del Valle Martínez de Yuso 3 ; Jiménez-Jiménez, José 4 ; Vale, Nuno 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Pereira, Carlos M 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Algarra, Manuel 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Luís Pinto da Silva 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Chemistry Research Unit (CIQUP), Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, R. Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; [email protected] (A.C.P.A.); [email protected] (A.T.S.C.B.); [email protected] (C.M.P.) 
 OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, s/n, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal; [email protected] (A.S.C.); [email protected] (D.D.); [email protected] (N.V.); Department of Community Medicine, Health Information and Decision (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal 
 X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Lab., Central Service to Support Research Building (SCAI), University of Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain; [email protected] 
 Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Málaga, 29007 Málaga, Spain; [email protected] (J.J.-J.); [email protected] (M.A.) 
 Chemistry Research Unit (CIQUP), Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, R. Campo Alegre 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; [email protected] (A.C.P.A.); [email protected] (A.T.S.C.B.); [email protected] (C.M.P.); LACOMEPHI, GreenUPorto, Department of Geosciences, Environment and Territorial Planning, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, R. Campo Alegre 697, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal 
First page
191
Publication year
2021
Publication date
2021
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
22279040
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2564922670
Copyright
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.