Preparation of Graphene oxide- CuInS/ZnS Quantum dots Nanocomposite as "Turn-On" Fluorescent Probe for the Detection of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Aqueous Medium.

Graphene oxide is well known for its adsorption properties with aromatic compounds. In this study, graphene oxide and eco-friendly ternary CuInS/ZnS QDs were used to prepare graphene oxide-qunatum dots (GO-QDs) nanocomposite via in-situ method. The composite was characterized using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The effect of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on the PL properties of the nanocomposite was investigated. The results showed that the addition of PAHs increased the PL intensity of the nanocomposite. This "turn-on" fluorescence approach can be used for the successful detection of PAHs in aqueous media.