Development of an eco-friendly fluorescence nanosensor based on molecularly imprinted polymer on silica-carbon quantum dot for the rapid indoxacarb detection

•A novel optical sensor for the detection of indoxacarb was developed.•The optical sensor was characterized with 1 nM detection limit for indoxacarb.•The linear dynamic range of the sensor for indoxacarb comprised 4–102 nM.•The novel optical sensor was applied for indoxacarb in water, apple, and tomato. Rapid and efficient detection of indoxacarb (IXC), a common chemical contaminant, in environmental and biological samples is necessary. In this work, a modern optical sensor was developed for IXC, based on environmentally friendly molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) coated on silica-carbon quantum dots (SiCQDs). A hydrothermal method was used to prepare highly fluorescence SiCQDs and, subsequently, MIP formed on surface (MIP@SiCQDs) using a sol-gel method. A linear relationship between the fluorescence quenching effect and increased IXC concentration was found for the range of 4–102 nM, under the optimal conditions, with a 1 nM detection limit. Precisions was of 4.5 and 2.3% for five replicate detections at 21 and 60 nM IXC, respectively. Applicability of the sensor for IXC quantification in environmental and biological samples was verified with recoveries in the range 95–106% with a relative standard deviation of