Synthesis of highly fluorescent green carbon quantum dots from Prunus armeniaca for the determination of lisinopril in human plasma.

The environmentally friendly synthesis of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) using natural precursors is garnering considerable interest. Nonetheless, questions may arise concerning the properties and efficacy of CQDs obtained from identical natural sources when originating from different geographical or botanical contexts. In this study, juice extracted from Prunus armeniaca (apricots) was employed as a natural precursor to produce N@CQDs using a one-step microwave-assisted technique. The photoluminescent properties of the synthesized nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (N@CQDs) demonstrated significant superiority over previously reported quantum dots, achieved through a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective synthesis method. The quantum yield of these N@CQDs reached an impressive 37.1%, while their nanoscale dimensions (approximately 2.6 nm) and chemical composition remained consistent with those reported in earlier studies. Subsequently, these nanoprobes were evaluated for their ability to detect the antihypertensive drug lisinopril (LIS). The results indicated that the N@CQDs exhibited both selectivity and sensitivity for LIS detection in bulk powder and biological plasma samples, within a concentration range of 5.0-150.0 ng mL. The lower limit of quantitation was determined to be 2.2 ng mL. The presence of LIS resulted in a significant reduction in the luminescence intensity of the synthesized green and stable N@CQDs at 502 nm (with an excitation wavelength of 455 nm). Additionally, the reusability and stability of the proposed CQDs for LIS analysis were thoroughly validated.