Triple channel fluorescence Na-Ca-Cl-doped carbon dots for erythrosine detection in food samples and living cells

It is an ongoing and imperative need to monitor food colorants, for unsafe food is a terrifying threat to human health and economy. Here new Na-Ca-Cl-doped carbon dots (CDs) was fabricated by hydrothermal treatment of Miswak and m-phenylenediamine (mPD). The CDs were green-emitting with three distinctive emission centers, displaying a high quantum yield of 47 %. The CDs were able to assess erythrosine in the triple channels based on their fluorescence quenching by erythrosine because of the inner filter effect, displaying high sensitivity and selectivity. Also, the quantitative measurement of erythrosine utilizing the CDs was realized in food samples and in living cells with admirable fluorescence stability and appealing biocompatibility, representing the first report on exploiting CDs for erythrosine sensing in living cells. Collectively, the CDs provide a simple efficient platform for erythrosine sensing in solutions, food samples, and living cells, broadening the implements of CDs as bioprobes for food colorants.