Development of extremely luminescent B, N-CQDs as a probe for the detection of antibiotics and phenol derivatives in aquatic applications

Abstract The resulting antibiotic residue and organic chemicals from the growing global population have a detrimental impact on environmental and human health protection. So, we created a unique B, N-CQDs (Boron, Nitrogen doping carbon quantum dots) based fluorescent nanosensor to investigate novel sensing methodologies for the precise and concentrated identification of antibiotics and phenol derivatives substances to ensure that they are included in the permitted percentages. The as-prepared highly fluorescent B, N -CQDs had a limited range of sizes between 1 and 6 nm and average sizes of 3.33 nm and 2.8 nm in our study. Penicillin and Erythromycin may be detected efficiently using the suggested fluorescence approach, with detection limits of 10 nm and 5 nm, respectively. The novel B, N-CQDs showed high sensitivity and selectivity for phenolic derivatives such as Hydroquinone, Resorcinol, and Para aminophenol, as well as organic solvents such as Hexane, with low detection limits of 0.05µM, 0.024µM, 0.032µM, and 0.013µM in an aqueous medium. The high fluorescence B, N-CQDs probe was examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV/VIS spectroscopy. The outcomes were compared to carbon quantum dots (CQDs) that had previously been made from Urea.