Abstract
Here we propose luminescent ZnO QDs synthesized by a simple method in an unusual, powerful and ‘green’ solvent at low temperature, for the detection of aniline (e.g. 4-nitroanilina) compounds in water environment. To provide aqueous stability, ZnO QDs have been capped by (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES). The synthesized ZnO QDs have been characterized using X-ray diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Raman, UV-visible, Photoluminescence and Infrared Spectroscopy. This study demonstrates that the as synthesized ZnO QDs are highly luminescent, emitting yellow colour when exposed to UV radiation. Under UV radiation the nanoparticles exhibit high sensitivity to the presence of nitro-compounds in solution when they have a zwitterionic structure, even at very low concentration. In particular, this property makes APTES capped ZnO QDs very effective as sensor for p-nitroaniline.
