Green emission carbon quantum dots from lemon juice for selective detection of Fe3+ ions

Abstract

In this article carbon quantum dots (Cdots) were prepared by a facile, green, economical hydrothermal method of the mixed deionized water and lemon juice. Optical and structural properties of the Cdots have been extensively studied by UV–visible and fluorescence spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, and high resolution TEM (HR-TEM). Surface functionality of Cdots has been illustrated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The fabricated Cdots emit bright green light with broad spectrum. The Cdots exhibit captivating sensitivity and selectivity toward Fe3+ with a linear range from 0 to 80 ppm and a detection limit of 38.08 ppm.