Detection of Cu2+, Degradation of Acid Brown and Removing Cd2+ from the Water by High Photoluminescence Carbon Dots Synthesized from Milk

In this experimental work, nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots were successfully synthesized with hydrothermal of the milk. The product was composed of a powder and a stable colloid. The structure of the product was examined by XRD, EDS and FT-IR analysis. Also the particle size of the product was investigated by SEM and TEM images and the results showed the product is mainly composed of the particles with less than 5 nm in diameter. The photoluminescence intensity of the product was obtained by PL analysis and it was found the product has high photoluminescence intensity that can be improved by surface modification with N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone. Due to high photoluminescence intensity of the obtained quantum dots they were used as sensor to detection of Cu2+ and it was observed they can detect this ion in the aqueous medium for 0-80 uM concentration range. Also it was found by surface modification of carbon dots with N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone, the detection sensitivity is improved. The optical properties of the product were studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy.