Determination of lead(II) in food samples using a functionalized paper‐based fluorescent sensor modified by carbon dots

Abstract

This work discusses surface modification of cellulose paper specimens for compatibility with nitrogen and sulfur co‐doped carbon dots (NSCDs) for lead ion sensing. The interaction of carbon dots (CDs) and cellulose fibers was investigated using silane or chitosan‐modified cellulose papers. It was found that modified papers could reduce undesirable redistribution of CDs, during paper drying. Also, only chitosan‐modified filter paper was suitable for the successful immobilization of NSCDs. The effect of paper type, chitosan amount, pH, and NSCDs concentration was also studied, and a Whatman No. 42 filter paper modified with chitosan (1% w/v), pH 8.0, and an NSCD concentration of 2.5 g L−1 being selected for further studies. The sensor exhibited high selectivity for lead(II) compared with other metal ions because lead(II) resulted in the most significant changes in the emitted light intensity. Variations in NSCDs fluorescence were measured using a fluorescence imaging system. The NSCDs‐paper sensor showed a linear relationship between mean fluorescence intensity and lead(II) in the concentration range of 5.00–1.25 × 102 μmol L−1 with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9988 and a detection limit of 4.50 μmol L−1. The suggested method showed satisfying results for lead(II) determination in different samples as a fast and low‐cost approach with on‐site application.