Facile synthesis of N, S-codoped fluorescent carbon nanodots for fluorescent resonance energy transfer recognition of methotrexate with high sensitivity and selectivity.

In this report, N, S-codoped fluorescent carbon nanodots (NSCDs) were prepared by a facile, simple, low-cost, and green thermal treatment of ammonium persulfate, glucose, and ethylenediamine. The as-prepared NSCDs displayed bright blue emission with a relatively high fluorescent quantum yield of 21.6%, good water solubility, uniform morphology, and excellent chemical stability, compared to pure CDs. The fluorescence of NSCDs can be significantly quenched by methotrexate (MTX) via fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between NSCDs and MTX, which was used for highly selective and sensitive detection of MTX with a wide linear range up to 50.0 μM and a low detection limit of 0.33 nM (S/N = 3). Moreover, this method was explored for practical detection of MTX in human serum with satisfied results.