Smart fluorescence graphene quantum dot-based on-off sensor for tracing antibiotic residues in milk
摘要
The daily use of tetracycline antibiotics in human and animal practices has led to the accumulation of drug residues in food products, potentially fostering the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study introduces the synthesis and the characterization of a fast and ultra-sensitive nanoprobe designed for label-free detection of tetracycline hydrochloride (TET) as per se and in milk samples. The nanoprobe was synthesized using graphene oxide (GO) via a simple hydrothermal procedure. Plackett-Burman (PB) design was applied to adjust process parameters over two phases: synthesis and analysis. In the synthesis rehearsal, the objective was set to maximize the quantum yield (%QY) of the graphene quantum dots (GQDs). In this itinerary, GQDs with a %QY of 12.89% were obtained using acetonitrile as a solvent at 200 ℃ for 4 h. GQDs exhibited strong fluorescence with excitation and emission wavelengths of 330 nm and 407 nm, respectively. TEM analysis confirmed the formation of uniform spherical GQDs with a particle size of 1.95 ± 0.32 nm. FT-IR revealed the existence of different moieties on the GQDs, including C–H bending, C = C stretching, and C–O bonds. The prepared fluorescent probe demonstrated high selectivity for TET over other antibiotics and metal ions. For the analysis phase, objective was set as maximum fluorescence quenching (%Q). TET detection sensitivity was maximized using contact time of only 120 s, pH 9.0, and at 55℃. A multilinear calibration curve was obtained within the range of 0.69–23.99 µM TET, with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.015 µM.
Graphical abstract