Nitrogen-doped waste biomass-derived carbon dots as fluorescent sensors for economical, green, rapid and sensitive detection of resveratrol in foods.

Resveratrol (Res), a natural antioxidant widely found in fruits, plays a crucial role in preventing various diseases. However, traditional detection methods usually rely on large amounts of toxic solvents, leading to high costs and potential health risks to researchers. In this work, an economical, green, rapid, and sensitive method for Res detection was developed using banana peel-derived nitrogen-doped carbon dots (BP-N-CDs) as fluorescent sensors. Banana peels, an abundant and renewable waste biomass, served as an excellent carbon source, providing economic benefits while promoting environmental sustainability. Using o-phenylenediamine (OPD) as the nitrogen source further enhanced the photoluminescent properties of BP-N-CDs, resulting in bright fluorescence and exceptional stability. Through the inner filter effect, Res rapidly quenched the fluorescence of BP-N-CDs within 10 s. This method demonstrated excellent selectivity and sensitivity for Res with a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.21 ng/mL, and was successfully applied to food sample analysis. The greenness assessments further confirmed the eco-friendly and sustainable nature of the method. This work offered a novel and green approach for Res detection and provided valuable insights for the synthesis and optimization of biomass-derived carbon dots.