Detection and identification of p-nitrophenol based on g-C3N4 nanosheets by photoinduced electron transfer

The sensitive, rapid and selective detection of nitroaromatic explosives was very important because they were harmful to public safety. Methods selectively to detect p-nitrophenol (PNP) were few. In this work, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets were used as sensors to detect PNP in aqueous solution. g-C3N4 nanosheets were found to have significantly decreased fluorescence intensity when PNPs were introduced into the system. The concentration of PNP was from 7.782 × 10–6 to 7.273 × 10−5 mol/L. The feasibility of the proposed sensor in the samples was further studied, and the satisfactory results were obtained. Overall, a novel and efficient sensor for PNP detection through a combined static-and-dynamic quenching mechanism was developed. The strategy paved the way to meet the requirements of public safety.