The synthesis of N‐doped carbon dots for visual differentiating and detection of tetracyclines

Abstract

AbstractN‐doped carbon dots (N‐CDs) were synthesized from L‐glutamine and triethanolamine using a one‐step hydrothermal method. The N‐CDs emitting blue fluorescence had selective responses to tetracyclines (TCs) and could be used as a fluorescent probe to realize the quantitative detection and qualitative analysis of TCs. A method for the determination of TCs using the N‐CDs in actual samples was successfully established. The recovery rate was maintained at 97.50–105.60%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was less than 3%. In addition, TCs can be visually distinguished using filter paper by the different fluorescence colours (light green, dark blue, and yellow‐green) of the N‐CDs/TCs system under ultraviolet light. This study provides a relatively simple method to detect and identify TCs.