Waste frying oil as a precursor for one-step synthesis of sulfur-doped carbon dots with pH-sensitive photoluminescence

Proper disposal of waste frying oil (WFO) is an important waste-management concern. In this paper, we develop a facile method to reuse WFO for one-step synthesis of sulfur-doped carbon dots (S-C-dots) with the assistance of concentrated sulfuric acid. The as-synthesized S-C-dots are uniform in size and show partial disordered graphite-like structure. Different from the doping-free or nitrogen-doped carbon dots, the S-C-dots perform a strong ultraviolet emission at 378 nm due to successful sulfur-doping. Noticeably, the S-C-dots exhibit a distinct pH-sensitive feature and the intensity of photoluminescence increases linearly in the pH range from 3 to 9. Furthermore, possessing fascinating optical properties, high photostability, and low cytotoxicity, the S-C-dots have served as fluorescent probes for cell imaging.