Abstract
In this work, novel biomass-derived carbon dots (CDs) with superior fluorescent properties were prepared from tomato straws. A selective, eco-friendly tetracycline (TC) sensor was fabricated by immobilizing a SiO(2) molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) layer onto CDs, forming a CDs@SiO(2)-MIP composite. This sensor combined highly selective adsorption properties with the sensitivity of fluorescence detection, with the sensing mechanism stemming from the off-fluorescent signal after molecular imprinting specifically recognizing the target substance. Under optimal conditions, the sensor exhibited a linear response to TC concentrations ranging from 1.00 × 10(-7) to 5.00 × 10(-4) mol/L, with fluorescence intensity decreasing as concentration increased. The detection limit of TC was 9.33 × 10(-8) mol/L. This work provides novel biomass-derived CDs and a simple molecularly imprinted fluorescence sensing method for the detection of environmental organic pollutants.