One-step hydrothermal synthesis of Na-doped carbon dots for highly selective detection of Hg2+in aqueous medium

Na-doped carbon dots (Na-CDs) was synthesized by hydrothermal method from beta-cyclodextrin and sodium acetate. The Na-CDs was stable at pH 3-12 and after storage for a long time. The Na-CDs served fluorescence sensor for highly selective detection of Hg2+ in aqueous medium with a detection limit of 34.22 nM. The sensing mechanism was based on the aggregation caused fluorescence quenching. The Na-CDs displayed high selectivity and sensitivity towards Hg2+, which supplied a new idea for constructing CDs-based stable fluorescent probes and a novel platform for selective Hg2+ detection.