Highly selective fluorescence chemosensor based on carbon-dot-aerogel for detection of aniline gas

Abstract Solid-state fluorescence sensing has become a research hotspot because it is simple and convenient in practical operation. In this study, the carbon dots (CDs)-silica aerogel solid fluorescent material was developed for the selective detection of aniline gas. The blue CDs were prepared by one-step simply hydrothermally treating low-cost sawdust, then CDs-silica aerogel composite material with the high specific surface areas and high porosity was prepared by sol-gel method based on abundant hydroxyl groups on the surface of the CDs which can initiate the gelation of tetraethyl orthosilicate. It is capable of selectively distinguishing toxic gaseous aniline with other volatile organic vapors by sensitive fluorescence quenching, and under optimal conditions, the fluorescence quenching efficiency of aniline gas can reach 76.4%. It is expected that our strategy might provide a new approach for developing a low cost, fast and sensitive CDs-based probe for environmental sensing applications.