An ultrasensitive method for the determination of melamine using cadmium telluride quantum dots as fluorescence probes

• An ultrasensitive and selective method for the determination of melamine was developed at pH 11.0.
• The selectivity of the method was improved.
• The sensitivity of the method enhanced obviously as the CdTe QDs have higher QYs at pH 11.
• The sensitivity and linear range for the analysis are size dependent using QDs PL probes.
• Melamine takes the place of TGA resulting fluorescence quenched of QDs.

An ultrasensitive and simple method for the determination of melamine was developed based on the fluorescence quenching of thioglycolic acid (TGA) capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) at pH 11.0. In strong alkaline aqueous solution, the selectivity of the method has been greatly improved due to most heavy metal ions show no interference as they are in the precipitation form or in their anion form. Furthermore, CdTe quantum dots have higher quantum yields at higher pH. The method has a wider concentration range and lower detection limit. The influence factors on the determination of melamine were investigated and the optimum conditions were determined. Under optimum conditions, the fluorescence intensity change of TGA coated CdTe quantum dots was linearly proportional to melamine over a concentration range from 1.0 × 10−11 to 1.0 × 10−5 mol L−1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.9943 and a detection limit of 5 × 10−12 mol L−1. The mechanism of fluorescence quenching of the QDs has been proposed based on the infrared spectroscopy information and electrophoresis experiments in presence of melamine under alkaline condition. The proposed method was employed to detect trace melamine in milk powder and pet feeds with satisfactory results.

Melamine takes place of the TGA on the surface of TGA-CdTe QDs with negative charge to form melamine coated QDs changing the surface charge of the QDs, resulting the fluorescence quenched as the QDs aggregation occurred by electrostatic attraction of the two opposite charged nanocrystals.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide