How to Enhance Sensitivity of Carbonaceous Ultrafine Particles to Metal Ions

Carbonaceous nanoparticles prepared via solvothermal treatment of citric acid with urea or thiourea have revealed selective response to mercury(II) ions enabling their quantitative determination by means of fluorescence spectroscopy. Dialysis of carbonaceous particles has improved their sensing capacity (reducing the detection limit and extending the detection range). Size distribution of the carbonaceous particles has been directly measured by means of nanoparticles tracking analysis for the first time.