Epimedium brevicornu maxim. -derived green carbon quantum dots as chemiluminescence probes for highly sensitive detection of Sulfacetamide and Sulfadimethoxine Sodium Salt

Abstract

This study presented the synthesis of phosphorus (P) and chlorine (Cl) co-doped carbon quantum dots (P/Cl-CQDs) derived from Epimedium brevicornu Maxim. and established a simple and effective chemiluminescence (CL) system for detecting Sulfacetamide (STM) and Sulfadimethoxine Sodium Salt (STX). Employing traditional Chinese medicine Epimedium brevicornu Maxim. as a green precursor material, (NH4)2HPO4 and NH4Cl were utilized as dopants for P and Cl, respectively. The P/Cl-CQDs was synthesized through a one-step hydrothermal method exhibited excellent CL properties, effectively catalyzing the luminol system and markedly amplifying its CL intensity. Both STM and STX were observed to inhibit the CL intensity of the luminol-(P/Cl-CQDs) system. Based on this, a novel CL method combining flow injection technique was established for the detection of STM and STX. Under optimal conditions, the method demonstrated the capability to detect STM in the range of 1–400 × 10−6 mol/L, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.34 × 10−6 mol/L and a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 1.29 %, and STX within the range of 5–280 × 10−6 mol/L, with a LOD of 0.16 × 10−6 mol/L and an RSD of 1.23 %. This method successfully determined the content of STM and STX in pork, with spike recoveries ranging from 100.0 % to 103.8 % for STM and from 98.0 % to 102.3 % for STX.