An efficient solid-state synthesis of fluorescent surface carboxylated carbon dots derived from C60 as a label-free probe for iron ions in living cells.

In order to achieve the simple, easily repeated, and large scale preparation of fluorescent CDs, a new solid-state synthesis (SSS) approach was developed by calcining the mixture of fullerenes (C60) and solid sodium hydroxide. The cage of fullerenes could be opened and the hydroxyl and carboxyl were successfully introduced in the presence of sodium hydroxide under high temperature. The as-prepared surface carboxylated CDs possess many good properties, such as high water solubility, good photostability, salt tolerance, and nontoxicity. Especially, the fluorescence of CDs could be highly quenched by Fe(3+) because of the strong interaction of hydroxyl or carboxyl on the as-obtained CDs with Fe(3+), which realized a sensitive detection of Fe(3+) in the linear range of 0.02-0.6 μmol/L. What is more, we further applied the obtained CDs into the intracellular imaging of Fe(3+).