Synthesis in aqueous solution and characterisation of a new cobalt-doped ZnS quantum dot as a hybrid ratiometric chemosensor

In this paper, cobalt (Co2+)-doped (CoD) ZnS quantum dots (QDs) are synthesised in aqueous solution and characterised for the first time. l-Cysteine (l-Cys) ligands on the surface of CoD ZnS QDs can bind 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) to form Meisenheimer complexes (MHCs) mainly through acid–base pairing interactions between TNT and l-Cys and the assistance of hydrogen bonding and electrostatic co-interactions among l-Cys intermolecules. The aggregation of inter-dots induced by MHCs greatly influenced the light scattering property of the QDs in aqueous solution, and Rayleigh scattering (RS) enhancement at the defect-related emission wavelengths as well as its left side was observed with the excitation of CoD ZnS QDs by violet light. RS enhancement, combining with the quenching of the orange transition emission induced by TNT anions, resulted in a change in the ratiometric visualisation of the system being investigated. A novel CoD ZnS QD-based hybrid ratiometric chemosensor has therefore been developed for simple and sensitive analysis of TNT in water. This ratiometric probe can assay down to 25 nM TNT in solution without interference from a matrix of real water sample and other nitroaromatic compounds. Because of the excellent electron-accepting ability and strong affinity of TNT to l-Cys on the surface of CoD ZnS QDs, the CoD photoluminescent nanomaterials reported here are well suited for detecting ultra-trace TNT and for distinguishing different nitro-compounds in aqueous solution.

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► CoD ZnS QDs were synthesised in aqueous solution and characterised.
► Phosphorescence lifetime of the synthesised CoD ZnS QDs was 3.0 ms.
► CoD ZnS QDs has great potential as a hybrid colorimetric assay for sensing TNT.
► This colorimetric probe can detect down to 25 nM TNT.