Efficient optical sensing of nitrophenol using low-rank coal-based graphene quantum dots

Research Summary

The authors converted low-rank coal into fluorescent graphene quantum dots and tested them as probes for nitrophenols in water. The dots had an approximately 6.3% quantum yield and detection limits of 1.44 µmol/L for 4-nitrophenol and 1.89 µmol/L for 2,4-dinitrophenol; the study also tested tap and river water.