Fluorescent N-Doped Carbon Dots as a Biocompatible Sensor for Thiophanate-Methyl Detection

K Radhakrishnan; R Suriyaprakash; L Srimathi Priya; P Saravanan; Mir Waqas Alam; Pitcheri Rosaiah; Guru Prakash Nunna; Tae Jo Ko

doi:10.1007/s10895-024-04095-9

Fluorescent N-Doped Carbon Dots as a Biocompatible Sensor for Thiophanate-Methyl Detection

J Fluoresc. 2025 Jan 9. doi: 10.1007/s10895-024-04095-9. Online ahead of print.

Authors

K Radhakrishnan¹, R Suriyaprakash², L Srimathi Priya³, P Saravanan⁴, Mir Waqas Alam⁵, Pitcheri Rosaiah⁶, Guru Prakash Nunna⁷, Tae Jo Ko⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, Centre for Material Chemistry, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641021, India. [email protected].
² Centre for Research in Environment, Sustainability Advocacy and Climate Change (REACH), Directorate of Research, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, 603203, India.
³ Department of Natural Resource Management, Horticultural College and Research Institute (HC & RI), Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Periyakulam, Tamil Nadu, 625 604, India.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, St. Joseph's College of Engineering, OMR, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600119, India.
⁵ Department of Physics, College of Science, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Department of Physics, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Thandalam, Chennai, 602 105, India.
⁷ School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea. [email protected].
⁸ School of Mechanical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea. [email protected].

PMID: 39786696
DOI: 10.1007/s10895-024-04095-9

Abstract

An eco-friendly nitrogen-passivated carbon dot (N-CDs)-based fluorescent sensor was designed for the selective and sensitive detection of thiophanate-methyl, a widely applied fungicide in agriculture. The synthesized N-CDs exhibited robust fluorescence and remarkable photostability, which contributed to the sensor's performance. Notably, the sensor achieved a detection limit as low as 4.8 nM and operated effectively over a wide linear dynamic range of 10 to 150 µM, showcasing its potential for precise thiophanate-methyl detection. Optimization of the experimental parameters, including pH and concentration of N-CDs, resulted in a very efficient sensing platform with rapid response time and good selectivity towards common interferents such as other pesticides and metal ions. Moreover, the sensor was successfully deployed for real agricultural samples enabling a high recovery for accurate detection of thiophanate-methyl residues. The N-CDs-based sensors may serve as sustainable cost-effective methods for monitoring pesticide contamination in foodstuffs or environmental matrices. The sensor stands out as be practical benefit, eco-friendly tool for food safety assurance and environmental protection.

Keywords: Carbon dots; Fluorescent sensor; Pesticide detection; Thiophanate-methyl.