Green synthesis of paulownia flower-derived carbon dots for sensitive fluorescent detection of paclobutrazol.

In this study, carbon dots derived from paulownia flowers (PF-CDs) were synthesized and utilized as a nanosensor for the highly sensitive detection of paclobutrazol (PBZ) pesticide residue. The study reports the first green synthesis of PF-CDs using biological waste from PF through a simple one-step hydrothermal method. PF-CDs exhibited exceptional photostability, low cytotoxicity, and excellent biocompatibility, making them suitable for biological applications. Moreover, PF-CDs exhibited excellent sensitivity for detecting PBZ pesticides. A strong linear correlation (R2 > 0.99) was observed between the fluorescence intensity of PF-CDs and PBZ concentrations ranging from 0.78 to 18.75 μg/L. In real sample analysis, PBZ recovery rates ranged from 94.06 % to 108.56 %, with relative standard deviations between 0.35 % and 12.35 %. These results highlight the potential of PF-CDs for the accurate and reliable detection of pesticide residues. This study provides a sensitive method for PBZ detection, with implications for food safety and environmental monitoring.