A facile, green synthesis of biomass carbon dots coupled with molecularly imprinted polymers for highly selective detection of oxytetracycline

Biomass carbon dots (CDs) prepared by sweet potato peels were superior fluorophores with low toxicity and excellent photostability. A novel designed fluorescence probe for specific recognition and sensitive detection of oxytetracycline (OTC) was fabricated with CDs and molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP). The quenching of CDs happened when rebinding with OTC due to electron-transfer-induced fluorescence quenching mechanism. The fluorescence probe was successfully applied in honey with the recoveries ranging from 90.2% to 97.3%. The detection limit of OTC was 15.3 ng mL−1. This work provides promising perspectives that the development of fluorescent MIP will be valuable for rapid analysis in complex samples.