Carboxyl-rich g-C3N4 nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization and their application for selective fluorescence sensing of Hg2+ and Fe3+ in aqueous media
Carboxyl-rich g-C3N4 was prepared through hydrothermal oxidation of g-C3N4 nanosheet. A facile one-pot method was proposed for synthesizing of graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet containing heptazine motif. The surface groups of g-C3N4 structures were measured by ninhydrin test and acid-base titrations. Carboxyl-rich g-C3N4 was used as a fluorescence sensor for selective detection of Hg2+ and Fe3+. The prepared sensor was a highly selective On-Off fluorescence sensor for detection of Hg2+ and CN−.