A sensitized ratiometric fluorescence probe based on N/S doped carbon dots and mercaptoacetic acid capped CdTe quantum dots for the highly selective detection of multiple tetracycline antibiotics in food.

A ratiometric fluorescent probe based on N/S doped carbon dots (N/S-CQDs) and mercaptoacetic acid capped CdTe quantum dots (TGA-CdTe QDs) with sensitized and self-calibration functions was constructed to sensitively detect multiple tetracycline antibiotics (TCs). N/S-CQDs could attach stably to TGA-CdTe QDs and form a new composite ratiometric fluorescent probe that had a more than tenfold increase in sensitivity to TCs compared with each single QD. The probe could detect four common TCs as the color of the probe changed from bright red to dark red, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 1.47 × 10-2-1.78 × 10-2 mg/L. Practical applications of the probe in food and urine were also verified with recovery rates of 95.21%-104.97%. Due to the abundant spectral fingerprints provided by both QDs, this novel probe could accurately recognize not only different single TCs but also mixed TC samples even in actual samples combined with chemometrics.