Nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur tri-doped carbon dots are specific and sensitive fluorescent probes for determination of chromium(VI) in water samples and in living cells.

A rapid, sensitive, and selective fluorometric assay is described for the determination of chromium(VI) in real waters and living cells. The method is making use of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur tri-doped carbon dots (NPS-CDs) which have absorption/emission maxima at 360/505 nm/nm. Cr(VI) has an absorption maximum at 350 nm and causes an inner filter effect (IFE) on the blue fluorescence of the NPS-CDs. The NPS-CDs were hydrothermally synthesized using p-aminobenzenesulfonic acid and tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium chloride as precursors. The NPS-CDs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and several spectroscopic methods. They are biocompatible and negligibly cytotoxic when tested with HeLa cells and MCF-7 cells even after 48 h of incubation. The NPS-CDs were used as fluorescent probes for Cr(VI). The detection limit is 0.23 μM (three times standard deviation versus slope), and the linear response covers the 1 to 500 μM chromate concentration range. The NPS-CDs were applied to the determination of Cr(VI) in real waters and living cells (HeLa and MCF-7) and gave satisfying results. Graphical abstractSchematic representation of hydrothermal synthesis of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur tri-doped carbon dots (NPS-CDs) for Cr(VI) detection via inner filter effect (IFE). NPS-CDs were applied to the determination of Cr(VI) in living cells (HeLa and MCF-7) with satisfying results.