Turn-on fluorescence sensing of hydrazine using MnO nanotube-decorated g-CN nanosheets

The current study demonstrates a facile one-pot pyrolysis route to develop photoluminescent graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (g-C 3 N 4 ) for the fluorescence detection of hydrazine. The morphological images show that MnO 2 nanotubes are decorated over the surface of g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets, and the addition of hydrazine completely topples the MnO 2 nanotubes; this uncovers the g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets. The turn-off fluorescence was achieved with the decoration of MnO 2 nanostructures on the g-C 3 N 4 -nanosheets via the fluorescence resonance energy transfer mechanism. Morphological influences of MnO 2 nanostructures on the dynamic quenching of the fluorescence behavior of g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets were analyzed. The fluorescence energy transfer between g-C 3 N 4 and MnO 2 was restricted with the addition of hydrazine; this led to the recovery of the fluorescence behavior of g-C 3 N 4 . The proposed sensor exhibits high sensitivity, the wide linear range of 255 M, and the low detection limit of 0.12 M. The developed nanocomposite exhibits excellent selectivity towards hydrazine over common metal ions and molecules with analogous structures. Furthermore, the prepared nanocomposite exhibits good recovery in environmental water samples; this unveils its practical competence in real samples. Conspicuously, this study provides an excellent platform for the development of a competent fluorescent probe and dynamic opportunities for the effectual monitoring of hydrazine in environmental water samples. The cost and time efficient preparation strategy is developed for the preparation of g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets using urea and the challenges of g-C 3 N 4 toward hydrazine sensing are addressed via the modification of g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets with MnO 2 nanotubes.