Graphene
Quantum Dots-based Photoluminescent Sensor:
A Multifunctional Composite for Pesticide Detection
- Publication date
- Publisher
Abstract
Due to their size and difficulty
to obtain, cost/effective biological
or synthetic receptors (e.g., antibodies or aptamers, respectively),
organic toxic compounds (e.g., less than 1 kDa) are generally challenging
to detect using simple platforms such as biosensors. This study reports
on the synthesis and characterization of a novel multifunctional composite
material, magnetic silica beads/graphene quantum dots/molecularly
imprinted polypyrrole (mSGP). mSGP is engineered to specifically and
effectively capture and signal small molecules due to the synergy
among chemical, magnetic, and optical properties combined with molecular
imprinting of tributyltin (291 Da), a hazardous compound, selected
as a model analyte. Magnetic and selective properties of the mSGP
composite can be exploited to capture and preconcentrate the analyte
onto its surface, and its photoluminescent graphene quantum dots,
which are quenched upon analyte recognition, are used to interrogate
the presence of the contaminant. This multifunctional material enables
a rapid, simple and sensitive platform for small molecule detection,
even in complex mediums such as seawater, without any sample treatment