Synthesis of blue fluorescent carbon dots and its application in determination of Fe3+ ion in human whole blood and cell imaging

Iron is an essential element in the human body, especially in the blood, which participates many important physiological functions, such as oxygen transport, electronic carrier, and metabolic reactions. In this study, fluorescent carbon dots are synthesized by one-step carbonization, which can be selectively quenched by Fe³⁺ ion and recovered by vitamin C. The experimental results show that the synthesized materials are very stable to light, heat, and organic solvent. HeLa cell imaging experiments have shown that the synthetic material is less toxic and can be inserted into cells for cell imaging. Finally, we have been able to detect Fe³⁺ ion in human whole blood and vitamin C in juice drinks. This study may contribute to the monitoring of human health indicators and nutrients.