Abstract:The current methods for the detection of copper contamination in foods are generally limited by problems such as cumbersome operation, complex sample pretreatment processes, time intensiveness, and high testing cost. Here, Cu2+-specific fluorescent N-doped carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized, and a homogeneous rapid detection of Cu2+ contamination was developed. The CDs showed high water solubility, excellent biocompatibility, and a fluorescence quantum yield of 33.27%. This method allowed for a high-sensitive detection of Cu2+ in a centrifuge tube at room temperature, with a dynamic detection range of 5~50 μmol/L and detection limit of 5.48 μmol/L. Moreover, this method was successfully applied in measuring Cu2+ in water samples. Thus, the CDs developed in this study may be an effective tool to detect copper contamination in foods and may be used in the detection of Cu2+ in crops, water and soil, contributing to the prevention and control of copper contamination in foods. In addition, the proposed detection method have several advantages such as good timeliness, high accuracy, high stability, low cost, and low detection requirements, which are in line with current requirements for the safety supervision of heavy metals in foods.
