Sensitive, Selective and Reliable Detection of Fe 3+ in Lake Water via Carbon Dots-Based Fluorescence Assay.

In this study, C-dots were facilely synthesized via microwave irradiation using citric acid and ethylenediamine as carbon precursors. The fluorescence emissions of the C-dots could be selectively quenched by Fe 3+ , and the degree of quenching was linearly related to the concentrations of Fe 3+ presented. This phenomenon was utilized to develop a sensitive fluorescence assay for Fe 3+ detection with broad linear range (0-250, 250-1200 μmol/L) and low detection limit (1.68 μmol/L). Most importantly, the assay demonstrated high reliability towards samples in deionized water, tap water and lake water, which should find potential applications for Fe 3+ monitoring in complicated environments.