Highly sensitive and selective detection of Fe3+ by utilizing carbon quantum dots as fluorescent probes

Highlights: • An economic and green synthesis of carbon quantum dots (CDs) was developed. • The emission spectra of the obtained CDs are broad range from 408 nm to 431 nm. • The CDs can be used as sensitive and selective detection fluorescent probe of Fe³⁺. The carbon quantum dots (CDs) based on carbonization of citric acid and tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) in glycerinum as fluorescent probes for highly sensitive and selective detection of Fe³⁺ have been developed. The obtained CDs exhibit an excitation-dependent fluorescence behavior. The most intense fluorescence appears under 340 nm excitation and has a maximum emission peak at 414 nm. The CDs can keep good fluorescence intensity in a wide pH values from 2 to 11. The CDs can be used as highly sensitive and selective detection fluorescent probe of Fe³⁺, even in real sample analysis the CDs fluorescent probes can be used.