A short review on natural precursors-plant-based fluorescent carbon dots for the targeted detection of metal ions

Carbon dots (CDs) have been utilized as a fluorescence probe to detect heavy metal ions. They have good optical qualities and are easily produced from inexpensive materials. They offer excellent photoluminescence characteristics. The optical characteristics of the produced CDs can also be impacted by the synthesis procedure. The special optical emission allows the detection of heavy metals, biological heavy metals and hypochlorite anions. When used as fluorescent probes, CDs provide for a wide concentration range and a low detection limit. They can be used to assemble actual examples of electronic devices that have intriguing qualities. Since, CDs have distinct excitation-based emissions and photoluminescence, quenching and reversing the quenching process can be utilized as an analytical technique to detect specific analytes. CDs have been extensively utilized as metal ion sensors for the detection of Fe³⁺, Fe²⁺, Cu²⁺, Hg²⁺, Ag⁺, Au³⁺, Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cr⁶⁺, Zn²⁺, As³⁺, V⁵⁺, Mo⁶⁺ and Al³⁺ as this review explains. The comparison based on quantum yield, sensitivity, selectivity, particle size, detection limit and sensing mechanisms are also described.