Green carbon dots from poppy seeds with conjugated hydrogel hybrid films for detection of Fe3+

Abstract

A simple, non-toxic and eco-friendly method has been developed for detection of Fe3+ using the beneficial plant Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum) seeds as a carbon source to fabricate a hybrid film (HF). The hybrid film platform comprises of quince seed mucilage and sodium alginate to form a fluorescent hybrid film with green carbon dots derived from poppy seeds (P-CDs). All materials and methods contain non-toxic chemicals. The prepared samples have been characterized morphologically, structurally and optically by spectroscopic techniques. A hydrodynamic radius of the P-CDs is determined as an average of 4.79 nm using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). It has been identified that hybrid film is selective towards Fe3+ ions among different metal ions with one-step by the naked-eye and turn-off detection and selectivity of P-CDs to Fe3+ is determined by fluorescence measurement. The detection limit (LOD) of Fe3+ ion is found as 0.356 mM. Developments of such a hybrid material from sustainable and low-cost sources make it an interesting option as a detection material must be investigated in various fields. For the first time, quince seed mucilage combined with green carbon dots and it has been studied in the detection field as a hybrid film. This study has proven that biotechnological studies about carbon dots can also obtain efficient results by providing green, economic, energy and water saving approaches.