One-step synthesis of boron-doped graphene quantum dots for fluorescent sensors and biosensor

Heteroatom doping can endow graphene quantum dots (GQDs) with various new or improved structural, optical and physicochemical properties. In contrast to the widely reported oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur doping in GQDs, simple and scalable synthesis of boron-doped GQDs (B-GQDs) with high yield and quantum yields remains challenge. In this work, B-GQDs are one-step synthesized and serve as the fluorescence probes for the fabrication of sensors towards Fe3+ ion or phosphate (Pi) as well as biosensor towards cytochrome C (Cyt C). The B-GQDs are facile synthesized using one-step bottom-up molecular fusion between 1,3,6-trinitropyrene and borax in sodium hydroxide under hydrothermal process. The synthesis can be performed using large volume autoclave (500 ml) with a high yield of 71%, indicating possibility for gram-scale production of B-GQDs. The as-prepared B-GQDs exhibit single or bilayer graphene structure, high crystallinity, uniform size, bright (absolute photoluminescence quantum yield of 16.8%) and excitation-independent green fluorescence (maximum excitation wavelength and emission wavelength of 480 nm and 520 nm, respectively). Successful doping of B atoms in the lattice of GQDs enables high selectivity towards Fe3+. Based on quenching of fluorescence of B-GQDs by Fe3+ (turn-off model), detection of Fe3+ (with limit of detection-LOD of 31.2 nM) and Fe3+-rich Cyt C (with LOD of 5.9 μg/ml) are demonstrated. As Pi can recover Fe3+-quenched fluorescence of B-GQDs (turn-off-on model), indirect fluorescent detection of Pi is also achieved with LOD of 340 nM. In addition, detection of Fe3+, Cyt C and Pi in real samples is achieved. [Display omitted] •B doped GQDs (B-GQDs) are facile prepared using one-step hydrothermal process.•Fluorescence sensor for sensitive detection of Fe3+ is achieved with B-GQDs as probe.•Fluorescence biosensor for detection of cytochrome C using B-GQDs is demonstrated.•Indirect detection of phosphate is achieved by recovery of Fe3+-quenched fluorescence.