Phosphorus doped graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets as fluorescence probe for the detection of baicalein

Abstract Phosphorus doped graphitic carbon nitride (P-g-C 3 N 4 ) nanosheets were synthesized by calcination. P-g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets were characterized by XRD, XPS, TEM, fluorescence, ultraviolet-visible absorption and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The fluorescence of the P-g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets was gradually quenched with the increase in the concentration of baicalein at room temperature. The proposed probe was used for the determination of baicalein in the concentration 2.0–30 μM with a detection limit of 53 nM. The quenching mechanism was discussed. The P-g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets have been successfully applied for effective and selective detection of baicalein in human urine samples and blood samples.