A carbon dots-CdTe quantum dots fluorescence resonance energy transfer system for the analysis of ultra-trace chlortoluron in water.

In this paper, a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) system between fluorescence carbon dots (CDs, donor) and CdTe quantum dots (CdTe, acceptor) was constructed, and a novel platform for sensitive and selective determination of chlortoluron was accordingly proposed. It was found that in Tris-HCl buffer solution at pH=8.7, energy transfer from CDs to CdTe occurred, which resulted in a great enhancement of the fluorescence intensity of CdTe. Upon the addition of chlortoluron, in terms of strong interaction between chlortoluron and CdTe QDs through the formation of chlortoluron-CdTe ground state complex, resulted in CdTe fluorescence quenching. Under optimal conditions, in range of 2.4×10(-10)molL(-1)-8.5×10(-8)molL(-1), the change of CdTe fluorescence intensity was in good linear relationship with the chlortoluron concentration, and the detection limit was 7.8×10(-11)molL(-1) (S/N=3). Most of common relevant substance, cations and anions did not interfere with the detection of chlortoluron. The proposed method was applied to determine chlortoluron in water samples with satisfactory results.