Dual-emissive ratiometric fluorescent nanosensor based on multi-nanomaterials for Ag determination in lake water.

In this study, a sensitive ratiometric fluorescent nanosensor was constructed using a facile one-pot method by encapsulating carbon dots (CDs) and cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QDs) into the pore cavities of a metal-organic framework (ZIF-8). In this nanosensor (CD/CdTe QD@ZIF-8), the fluorescence attributed to CdTe QDs was quenched by silver ions (Ag), and the fluorescence intensity of CDs did not change. The introduction of ZIF-8 into the system can not only adsorb Ag but also easily separate CDs and CdTe QDs from the matrix.